IN  THE  JW 


ie  f  nrtucii  Proton 


SONGS  OF  SIXPENCE.    Illustrated. 

THEIR  CITY  CHRISTMAS.    Illustrated. 

THE  CHRISTMAS  ANGEL,     Illustrated. 

JOHN  OF  THE  WOODS.     Illustrated. 

FRESH  POSIES.     Illustrated. 

FRIENDS  AND  COUSINS.     Illustrated. 

BROTHERS  AND  SISTERS.     Illustrated. 

THE  STAR  JEWELS  AND  OTHER  WON- 
DERS. Illustrated. 

THE  FLOWER  PRINCESS.     Illustrated. 

THE  CURIOUS  BOOK  OF  BIRDS.  Illustrated. 

A  POCKETFUL  OF  POSIES.     Illustrated. 

IN  THE  DAYS  OF  GIANTS.     Illustrated. 

THE  BOOK  OF  SAINTS  AND  FRIENDLY 
BEASTS.  Illustrated. 

THE  LONESOMEST  DOLL.     Illustrated. 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 
BOSTON  AND  NBW  YORK 


IN  THE  DAYS  OF  GIANTS 


"I  AM  THE  GIANT  SKRYMIR"  (page  150) 


IN  THE  DAYS  OF 
GIANTS  *  A  BOOK  OF 
NORSE  TALES  BY  ABBIE 
FAR  WELL  BROWN  1 1  £ 
WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 
BY  E.  BO  YD  SMITH  * 


HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 
BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK  £ 


, 

COPYRIGHT   1902  BY  ABBIE  FARWELL  BROWN.        ALL  RIGHTS 
RESERVED 


Published  April,  1 902 


NOW  I  LIKE  A  REALLY  GOOD  SAGA, 
ABOUT  GODS  AND  GIANTS,  AND  THE 
FIRE  KINGDOMS,  AND  THE  SNOW  KING- 
DOMS, AND  THE  JEBIR  MAKING  MEN  AND 
WOMEN  OUT  OF  TWO  STICKS,  AND  ALL 
THAT. 

KINGSLEY'S  HYPATIA 


335805 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.  The  Beginning  of  Things  i 

II.  How  Odin  Lost  His  Eye  1 1 

III.  Kvasir's  Blood  -  21 

IV.  The  Giant  Builder-  35 
V.  The  Magic  Apples  50 

VI.  Skadi's  Choice  -  70 

VII.  The  Dwarfs  Gifts-  80 

VIII.  Loki's  Children  98 

IX.  The  Quest  of  the  Hammer  no 

X.  The  Giantess  Who  Would  Not    132 

XL  Thor's  Visit  to  the  Giants  146 

XII.  Thor's  Fishing  172 

XIII.  Thor's  Duel  192 

XIV.  In  the  Giant's  House  208 
XV.  Balder  and  the  Mistletoe  226 

XVI.  The  Punishment  of  Loki  243 


Six  of  these  Tales,  namely,  The  Magic  Apples,  The 
Dwarfs  Gifts,  The  Attest  of  the  Hammer,  In  the 
Giant's  House,  Balder  and  the  Mistletoe,  and  The 
Punishment  of  Loki  are,  by  the  courteous  permission  of 
the  publishers  of  The  Churchman,  reprinted  from  that 
magazine. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  *  *  * 

PAGE 

44 1  am  the  giant  Skrymir"  (page  150) 

Frontispiece 

He  flapped  away  with  her,  magic  ap- 
ples and  all  62 
The  third  gift  —  an  enormous  hammer  88 
"  Ah,  what  a  lovely  maid  it  is ! "  1 22 
Each  arrow  overshot  his  head  232 
"Kill  him!  Kill  him!"  256 


IN  THE  DAYS  OF  GIANTS 


THE  BEGINNING  OF 
THINGS  %  t  t  *  t  t  £ 

THE  oldest  stories  of  every  race 
of  people  tell  about  the  Beginning  of 
Things.  But  the  various  folk  who 
first  told  them  were  so  very  different,  the 
tales  are  so  very  old,  and  have  changed  so 
greatly  in  the  telling  from  one  generation  to 
another,  that  there  are  almost  as  many  ac- 
counts of  the  way  in  which  the  world  began 
as  there  are  nations  upon  the  earth.  So  it  is 
not  strange  that  the  people  of  the  North  have 
a  legend  of  the  Beginning  quite  different  from 
that  of  the  Southern,  Eastern,  and  Western 
folk. 

This  book  is  made  of  the  stories  told  by 
the  Northern  folk,  —  the  people  who  live  in 
the  land  of  the  midnight  sun,  where  sum- 
mer is  green  and  pleasant,  but  winter  is  a 
terrible  time  of  cold  and  gloom ;  where  rocky 
mountains  tower  like  huge  giants,  over  whose 
heads  the  thunder  roils  and  crashes,  and  under 


'i     THE  BEGINNING  OF  THINGS 

whose  feet  are  mines  of  precious  metals. 
Therefore  you  will  find  the  tales  full  of 
giants  and  dwarfs,  —  spirits  of  the  cold  moun- 
tains and  dark  caverns. 

You  will  find  the  hero  to  be  Thor,  with 
his  thunderbolt  hammer,  who  dwells  in  the 
happy  heaven  of  Asgard,  where  All-Father 
Odin  is  king,  and  where  Balder  the  beauti- 
ful makes  springtime  with  his  smile.  In  the 
north  countries,  winter,  cold,  and  frost  are  very 
real  and  terrible  enemies;  while  spring,  sun- 
shine, and  warmth  are  near  and  dear  friends. 
So  the  story  of  the  Beginning  of  Things  is  a 
story  of  cold  and  heat,  of  the  wicked  giants 
who  loved  the  cold,  and  of  the  good  ^Esir, 
who  basked  in  pleasant  warmth. 

In  the  very  beginning  of  things,  the  stories 
say,  there  were  two  worlds,  one  of  burning 
heat  and  one  of  icy  cold.  The  cold  world 
was  in  the  north,  and  from  it  flowed  Elivagar, 
a  river  of  poisonous  water  which  hardened 
into  ice  and  piled  up  into  great  mountains, 
filling  the  space  which  had  no  bottom.  The 
other  world  in  the  south  was  on  fire  with 
bright  flame,  a  place  of  heat  most  terrible. 
And  in  those  days  through  all  space  there  was 


THE  BEGINNING  OF   THINGS    3 

nothing  beside  these  two  worlds  of  heat  and 
cold. 

But  then  began  a  fierce  combat.  Heat 
and  cold  met  and  strove  to  destroy  each 
other,  as  they  have  tried  to  do  ever  since. 
Flaming  sparks  from  the  hot  world  fell  upon 
the  ice  river  which  flowed  from  the  place  of 
cold.  And  though  the  bright  sparks  were 
quenched,  in  dying  they  wrought  mischief, 
as  they  do  to-day;  for  they  melted  the  ice, 
which  dripped  and  dripped,  like  tears  from 
the  suffering  world  of  cold.  And  then,  won- 
derful to  say,  these  chilly  drops  became  alive ; 
became  a  huge,  breathing  mass,  a  Frost- 
Giant  with  a  wicked  heart  of  ice.  And  he 
was  the  ancestor  of  all  the  giants  who  came 
afterwards,  a  bad  and  cruel  race. 

At  that  time  there  was  no  earth  nor  sea  nor 
heaven,  nothing  but  the  icy  abyss  without 
bottom,  whence  Ymir  the  giant  had  sprung. 
And  there  he  lived,  nourished  by  the  milk  of 
a  cow  which  the  heat  had  formed.  Now  the 
cow  had  nothing  for  her  food  but  the  snow 
and  ice  of  Elivagar,  and  that  was  cold  vict- 
uals indeed !  One  day  she  was  licking  the 
icy  rocks,  which  tasted  salty  to  her,  when 


4    THE  BEGINNING   OF  THINGS 

Ymir  noticed  that  the  mass  was  taking  a 
strange  shape.  The  more  the  cow  licked  it, 
the  plainer  became  the  outline  of  the  shape. 
And  when  evening  came  Ymir  saw  thrust- 
ing itself  through  the  icy  rock  a  head  of 
hair.  The  next  day  the  cow  went  on  with 
her  meal,  and  at  night-time  a  man's  head  ap- 
peared above  the  rock.  On  the  third  day 
the  cow  licked  away  the  ice  until  forth 
stepped  a  man,  tall  and  powerful  and  hand- 
some. This  was  no  evil  giant,  for  he  was 
good;  and,  strangely,  though  he  came  from 
the  ice  his  heart  was  warm.  He  was  the  ances- 
tor of  the  kind  /Esir ;  for  All-Father  Odin  and 
his  brothers  Vili  and  Ve,  the  first  of  the  gods, 
were  his  grandsons,  and  as  soon  as  they  were 
born  they  became  the  enemies  of  the  race  of 
giants. 

Now  after  a  few  giant  years,  —  ages  and 
ages  of  time  as  we  reckon  it,  —  there  was  a 
great  battle,  for  Odin  and  his  brothers  wished 
to  destroy  all  the  evil  in  the  world  and  to 
leave  only  good.  They  attacked  the  wicked 
giant  Ymir,  first  of  all  his  race,  and  after 
hard  fighting  slew  him.  Ymir  was  so  huge 
that  when  he  died  a  mighty  river  of  blood 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THINGS     5 

flowed  from  the  wounds  which  Odin  had 
given  him ;  a  stream  so  large  that  it  flooded 
all  space,  and  the  frost-giants,  his  children 
and  grandchildren,  were  drowned,  except 
one  who  escaped  with  his  wife  in  a  chest. 
And  but  for  the  saving  of  these  two,  that 
would  have  been  the  end  of  the  race  of 
giants. 

All-Father  and  his  brothers  now  had  work 
to  do.  Painfully  they  dragged  the  great  bulk 
of  Ymir  into  the  bottomless  space  of  ice,  and 
from  it  they  built  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  the 
heavens.  Not  an  atom  of  his  body  went 
to  waste.  His  blood  made  the  great  ocean, 
the  rivers,  lakes,  and  springs.  His  mighty 
bones  became  mountains.  His  teeth  and 
broken  bones  made  sand  and  pebbles.  From 
his  skull  they  fashioned  the  arching  heaven, 
which  they  set  up  over  the  earth  and  sea. 
His  brain  became  the  heavy  clouds.  His  hair 
sprouted  into  trees,  grass,  plants,  and  flowers. 
And  last  of  all,  the  JEsir  set  his  bristling 
eyebrows  as  a  high  fence  around  the  earth,  to 
keep  the  giants  away  from  the  race  of  men 
whom  they  had  planned  to  create  for  this 
pleasant  globe. 


6     THE  BEGINNING  OF   THINGS 

So  the  earth  was  made.  And  next  the 
gods  brought  light  for  the  heavens.  They 
caught  the  sparks  and  cinders  blown  from 
the  world  of  heat,  and  set  them  here  and 
there,  above  and  below,  as  sun  and  moon 
and  stars.  To  each  they  gave  its  name  and 
told  what  its  duties  were  to  be,  and  how  it 
must  perform  them,  day  after  day,  and  year 
after  year,  and  century  after  century,  till  the 
ending  of  all  things ;  so  that  the  children  of 
men  might  reckon  time  without  mistake. 

Sol  and  Mani,  who  drove  the  bright  char- 
iots of  the  sun  and  moon  across  the  sky, 
were  a  fair  sister  and  brother  whose  father 
named  them  Sun  and  Moon  because  they 
were  so  beautiful.  So  Odin  gave  them  each 
a  pair  of  swift,  bright  horses  to  drive,  and  set 
them  in  the  sky  forever.  Once  upon  a  time, 
— but  that  was  many,  many  years  later,  — 
Mani,  the  Man  in  the  Moon,  stole  two  chil- 
dren from  the  earth.  Hiuki  and  Bil  were 
going  to  a  well  to  draw  a  pail  of  water.  The 
little  boy  and  girl  carried  a  pole  and  a 
bucket  across  their  shoulders,  and  looked  so 
pretty  that  Mani  thrust  down  a  long  arm  and 
snatched  them  up  to  his  moon.  And  there 


THE  BEGINNING   OF   THINGS     7 

they  are  to  this  day,  as  you  can  see  on  any 
moonlight  night,  —  two  little  black  shadows 
on  the  moon's  bright  face,  the  boy  and  the 
girl,  with  the  bucket  between  them. 

The  gods  also  made  Day  and  Night.  Day 
was  fair,  bright,  and  beautiful,  for  he  was  of 
the  warm-hearted  ^Esir  race.  But  Night  was 
dark  and  gloomy,  because  she  was  one  of  the 
cold  giant-folk.  Day  and  Night  had  each  a 
chariot  drawn  by  a  swift  horse,  and  each  in 
turn  drove  about  the  world  in  a  twenty-four 
hours' journey.  Night  rode  first  behind  her 
dark  horse,  Hrimfaxi,  who  scattered  dew  from 
his  bit  upon  the  sleeping  earth.  After  her 
came  Day  with  his  beautiful  horse,  Glad, 
whose  shining  mane  shot  rays  of  light  through 
the  sky. 

All  these  wonders  the  kind  gods  wrought 
that  they  might  make  a  pleasant  world  for 
men  to  call  their  home.  And  now  the  gods, 
or  ^Esir  as  they  were  called,  must  choose  a 
place  for  their  own  dwelling,  for  there  were 
many  of  them,  a  glorious  family.  Outside  of 
everything,  beyond  the  great  ocean  which 
surrounded  the  world,  was  Jotunheim,  the 
cold  country  where  the  giants  lived.  The 


8     THE  BEGINNING  OF  THINGS 

green  earth  was  made  for  men.  The  gods 
therefore  decided  to  build  their  city  above 
men  in  the  heavens,  where  they  could  watch 
the  doings  of  their  favorites  and  protect  them 
from  the  wicked  giants.  Asgard  was  to  be 
their  city,  and  from  Asgard  to  Midgard,  the 
home  of  men,  stretched  a  wonderful  bridge,  a 
bridge  of  many  colors.  For  it  was  the  rain- 
bow that  we  know  and  love.  Up  and  down 
the  rainbow  bridge  the  JEsir  could  travel  to 
the  earth,  and  thus  keep  close  to  the  doings 
of  men. 

Next,  from  the  remnants  of  Ymir's  body 
the  gods  made  the  race  of  little  dwarfs,  a 
wise  folk  and  skillful,  but  in  nature  more  like 
the  giants  than  like  the  good  ^Esir;  for 
they  were  spiteful  and  often  wicked,  and  they 
loved  the  dark  and  the  cold  better  than  light 
and  warmth.  They  lived  deep  down  below 
the  ground  in  caves  and  rocky  dens,  and  it 
was  their  business  to  dig  the  precious  metals 
and  glittering  gems  that  were  hidden  in  the 
rocks,  and  to  make  wonderful  things  from 
the  treasures  of  the  under- world.  Pouf !  pouf ! 
went  their  little  bellows.  Tink-tank!  went 
their  little  hammers  on  their  little  anvils  all  day 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THINGS    9 

and  all  night.  Sometimes  they  were  friendly 
to  the  giants,  and  sometimes  they  did  kindly 
deeds  for  the  ^Esir.  But  always  after  men 
came  upon  the  earth  they  hated  these  new 
folk  who  eagerly  sought  for  the  gold  and  the 
jewels  which  the  dwarfs  kept  hidden  in  the 
ground.  The  dwarfs  lost  no  chance  of  doing 
evil  to  the  race  of  men. 

Now  the  gods  were  ready  for  the  mak- 
ing of  men.  They  longed  to  have  a  race  of 
creatures  whom  they  could  love  and  protect 
and  bless  with  all  kinds  of  pleasures.  So 
Odin,  with  his  brothers  Hcenir  and  Loki, 
crossed  the  rainbow  bridge  and  came  down 
to  the  earth.  They  were  walking  along  the 
seashore  when  they  found  two  trees,  an  ash 
and  an  elm.  These  would  do  as  well  as  any- 
thing for  their  purpose.  Odin  took  the  two 
trees  and  warmly  breathed  upon  them ;  and 
lo!  they  were  alive,  a  man  and  a  woman. 
Hcenir  then  gently  touched  their  foreheads, 
and  they  became  wise.  Lastly  Loki  softly 
stroked  their  faces;  their  skin  grew  pink 
with  ruddy  color,  and  they  received  the  gifts 
of  speech,  hearing,  and  sight.  Ask  and  Em- 
bla  were  their  names,  and  the  ash  and  the 


io    THE  BEGINNING  OF  THINGS 

elm  became  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
whole  human  race  whose  dwelling  was  Mid- 
gard,  under  the  eyes  of  the  ^Esir  who  had 
made  them. 

This  is   the  story  of  the  Beginning  of 
Things. 


HOW    ODIN    LOST    HIS 

EYE  ********* 

IN  the  beginning  of  things,  before  there 
was  any  world  or  sun,  moon,  and  stars, 
there  were  the  giants ;  for  these  were  the 
oldest  creatures  that  ever  breathed.  They 
lived  in  Jotunheim,  the  land  of  frost  and 
darkness,  and  their  hearts  were  evil.  Next 
came  the  gods,  the  good  ^Esir,  who  made  earth 
and  sky  and  sea,  and  who  dwelt  in  Asgaid, 
above  the  heavens.  Then  were  created  the 
queer  little  dwarfs,  who  lived  underground 
in  the  caverns  of  the  mountains,  working  at 
their  mines  of  metal  and  precious  stones. 
Last  of  all,  the  gods  made  men  to  dwell  in 
Midgard,  the  good  world  that  we  know,  be- 
tween which  and  the  glorious  home  of  the 
JEsir  stretched  Bifrost,  the  bridge  of  rain- 
bows. 

In  those  days,  folk  say,  there  was  a  mighty 
ash-tree  named  Yggdrasil,  so  vast  that  its 
branches  shaded  the  whole  earth  and  stretched 
up  into  heaven  where  the  ^Esir  dwelt,  while 
its  roots  sank  far  down  below  the  lowest 
depth.  In  the  branches  of  the  big  ash-tree 


12     HOW  ODIN  LOST  HIS  EYE 

lived  a  queer  family  of  creatures.  First,  there 
was  a  great  eagle,  who  was  wiser  than  any 
bird  that  ever  lived  —  except  the  two 
ravens,  Thought  and  Memory,  who  sat  upon 
Father  Odin's  shoulders  and  told  him  the 
secrets  which  they  learned  in  their  flight 
over  the  wide  world.  Near  the  great  eagle 
perched  a  hawk,  and  four  antlered  deer 
browsed  among  the  buds  of  Yggdrasil.  At 
the  foot  of  the  tree  coiled  a  huge  serpent,  who 
was  always  gnawing  hungrily  at  its  roots, 
with  a  whole  colony  of  little  snakes  to  keep 
him  company,  —  so  many  that  they  could 
never  be  counted.  The  eagle  at  the  top  of 
the  tree  and  the  serpent  at  its  foot  were 
enemies,  always  saying  hard  things  of  each 
other.  Between  the  two  skipped  up  and 
down  a  little  squirrel,  a  tale-bearer  and  a 
gossip,  who  repeated  each  unkind  remark 
and,  like  the  malicious  neighbor  that  he  was, 
kept  their  quarrel  ever  fresh  and  green. 

In  one  place  at  the  roots  of  Yggdrasil  was 
a  fair  fountain  called  the  Urdar-well,  where 
the  three  Norn-maidens,  who  knew  the  past, 
present,  and  future,  dwelt  with  their  pets,  the 
two  white  swans.  This  was  magic  water  in 


HOW  ODIN   LOST   HIS   EYE     13 

the  fountain,  which  the  Norns  sprinkled  every 
day  upon  the  giant  tree  to  keep  it  green,  — 
water  so  sacred  that  everything  which  entered 
it  became  white  as  the  film  of  an  eggshell. 
Close  beside  this  sacred  well  the  JEsir  had 
their  council  hall,  to  which  they  galloped 
every  morning  over  the  rainbow  bridge. 

But  Father  Odin,  the  king  of  all  the  ^Esir, 
knew  of  another  fountain  more  wonderful 
still;  the  two  ravens  whom  he  sent  forth 
to  bring  him  news  had  told  him.  This  also 
was  below  the  roots  of  Yggdrasil,  in  the 
spot  where  the  sky  and  ocean  met.  Here 
for  centuries  and  centuries  the  giant  Mimer 
had  sat  keeping  guard  over  his  hidden  well, 
in  the  bottom  of  which  lay  such  a  treasure 
of  wisdom  as  was  to  be  found  nowhere  else 
in  the  world.  Every  morning  Mimer  dipped 
his  glittering  horn  Gioll  into  the  fountain 
and  drew  out  a  draught  of  the  wondrous  water, 
which  he  drank  to  make  him  wise.  Every 
day  he  grew  wiser  and  wiser;  and  as  this  had 
been  going  on  ever  since  the  beginning  of 
things,  you  can  scarcely  imagine  how  wise 
Mimer  was. 

Now  it  did  not  seem  right  to  Father  Odin 


i4    HOW   ODIN   LOST   HIS  EYE 

that  a  giant  should  have  all  this  wisdom  to 
himself;  for  the  giants  were  the  enemies  of  the 
-^Esir,  and  the  wisdom  which  they  had  been 
hoarding  for  ages  before  the  gods  were  made 
was  generally  used  for  evil  purposes.  More- 
over, Odin  longed  and  longed  to  become  the 
wisest  being  in  the  world.  So  he  resolved 
to  win  a  draught  from  Mimer's  well,  if  in  any 
way  that  could  be  done. 

One  night,  when  the  sun  had  set  behind 
the  mountains  of  Midgard,  Odin  put  on  his 
broad-brimmed  hat  and  his  striped  cloak,  and 
taking  his  famous  staff  in  his  hand,  trudged 
down  the  long  bridge  to  where  it  ended  by 
Mimer's  secret  grotto. 

"Good-day,  Mimer,"  said  Odin,  entering; 
"  I  have  come  for  a  drink  from  your  well." 

The  giant  was  sitting  with  his  knees  drawn 
up  to  his  chin,  his  long  white  beard  falling 
over  his  folded  arms,  and  his  head  nod- 
ding ;  for  Mimer  was  very  old,  and  he  often 
fell  asleep  while  watching  over  his  precious 
spring.  He  woke  with  a  frown  at  Odin's 
words.  "You  want  a  drink  from  my  well, 
do  you  ?  "  he  growled.  "  Hey  !  I  let  no  one 
drink  from  my  well." 


HOW   ODIN   LOST   HIS  EYE     15 

"  Nevertheless,  you  must  let  me  have  a 
draught  from  your  glittering  horn,"  insisted 
Odin,  "  and  I  will  pay  you  for  it." 

"  Oho,  you  will  pay  me  for  it,  will  you  ?  " 
echoed  Mimer,  eyeing  his  visitor  keenly. 
For  now  that  he  was  wide  awake,  his  wisdom 
taught  him  that  this  was  no  ordinary  stranger. 
44  What  will  you  pay  for  a  drink  from  my 
well,  and  why  do  you  wish  it  so  much  ?  " 

44 1  can  see  with  my  eyes  all  that  goes  on 
in  heaven  and  upon  earth,"  said  Odin,  "  but 
I  cannot  see  into  the  depths  of  ocean.  I 
lack  the  hidden  wisdom  of  the  deep,  —  the 
wit  that  lies  at  the  bottom  of  your  fountain. 
My  ravens  tell  me  many  secrets ;  but  I  would 
know  all.  And  as  for  payment,  ask  what  you 
will,  and  I  will  pledge  anything  in  return 
for  the  draught  of  wisdom." 

Then  Mimer's  keen  glance  grew  keener. 
"  You  are  Odin,  of  the  race  of  gods,"  he  cried. 
44  We  giants  are  centuries  older  than  you, 
and  our  wisdom  which  we  have  treasured 
during  these  ages,  when  we  were  the  only 
creatures  in  all  space,  is  a  precious  thing.  If 
I  grant  you  a  draught  from  my  well,  you  will 
become  as  one  of  us,  a  wise  and  dangerous 


1 6     HOW   ODIN   LOST   HIS  EYE 

enemy.  It  is  a  goodly  price,  Odin,  which  1 
shall  demand  for  a  boon  so  great." 

Now  Odin  was  growing  impatient  for 
the  sparkling  water.  "Ask  your  price,"  he 
frowned.  "  I  have  promised  that  I  will  pay." 

"  What  say  you,  then,  to  leaving  one  of 
those  far-seeing  eyes  of  yours  at  the  bottom 
of  my  well  ?  "  asked  Mimer,  hoping  that  he 
would  refuse  the  bargain.  "This  is  the  only 
payment  I  will  take." 

Odin  hesitated.  It  was  indeed  a  heavy 
price,  and  one  that  he  could  ill  afford,  for 
he  was  proud  of  his  noble  beauty.  But  he 
glanced  at  the  magic  fountain  bubbling  mys- 
teriously in  the  shadow,  and  he  knew  that  he 
must  have  the  draught. 

"Give  me  the  glittering  horn,"  he  an- 
swered. "  I  pledge  you  my  eye  for  a  draught 
to  the  brim." 

Very  unwillingly  Mimer  filled  the  horn 
from  the  fountain  of  wisdom  and  handed  it 
to  Odin.  "Drink,  then,"  he  said ;  "  drink  and 
grow  wise.  This  hour  is  the  beginning  of 
trouble  between  your  race  and  mine."  And 
wise  Mimer  foretold  the  truth. 

Odin  thought  merely  of  the  wisdom  which 


HOW   ODIN  LOST   HIS  EYE     17 

was  to  be  his.  He  seized  the  horn  eagerly, 
and  emptied  it  without  delay.  From  that 
moment  he  became  wiser  than  any  one  else 
in  the  world  except  Mimer  himself. 

Now  he  had  the  price  to  pay,  which  was 
not  so  pleasant.  When  he  went  away  from 
the  grotto,  he  left  at  the  bottom  of  the  dark 
pool  one  of  his  fiery  eyes,  which  twinkled 
and  winked  up  through  the  magic  depths 
like  the  reflection  of  a  star.  This  is  how 
Odin  lost  his  eye,  and  why  from  that  day  he 
was  careful  to  pull  his  gray  hat  low  over  his 
face  when  he  wanted  to  pass  unnoticed.  For 
by  this  oddity  folk  could  easily  recognize  the 
wise  lord  of  Asgard. 

In  the  bright  morning,  when  the  sun  rose 
over  the  mountains  of  Midgard,  old  Mimer 
drank  from  his  bubbly  well  a  draught  of  the 
wise  water  that  flowed  over  Odin's  pledge. 
Doing  so,  from  his  underground  grotto  he 
saw  all  that  befell  in  heaven  and  on  earth, 
So  that  he  also  was  wiser  by  the  bargain. 
Mimer  seemed  to  have  secured  rather  the 
best  of  it ;  for  he  lost  nothing  that  he  could 
not  spare,  while  Odin  lost  what  no  man  can 
torel!  part  with,  —  one  of  the  good  windows 


1 8     HOW   ODIN   LOST   HIS   EYE 

wherethrough  his  heart  looks  out  upon  the 
world.  But  there  was  a  sequel  to  these  do- 
ings which  made  the  balance  swing  down  in 
Odin's  favor. 

Not  long  after  this,  the  ^Esir  quarreled 
with  the  Vanir,  wild  enemies  of  theirs,  and 
there  was  a  terrible  battle.  But  in  the  end 
the  two  sides  made  peace ;  and  to  prove  that 
they  meant  never  to  quarrel  again,  they  ex- 
changed hostages.  The  Vanir  gave  to  the 
JEsir  old  Niord  the  rich,  the  lord  of  the  sea 
and  the  ocean  wind,  with  his  two  children, 
Frey  and  Freia.  This  was  indeed  a  gracious 
gift;  for  Freia  was  the  most  beautiful  maid 
in  the  world,  and  her  twin  brother  was  almost 
as  fair.  To  the  Vanir  in  return  Father  Odin 
gave  his  own  brother  Hoenir.  And  with 
Hcenir  he  sent  Mimer  the  wise,  whom  he 
took  from  his  lonely  well. 

Now  the  Vanir  made  Hoenir  their  chief, 
thinking  that  he  must  be  very  wise  because 
he  was  the  brother  of  great  Odin,  who  had 
lately  become  famous  for  his  wisdom.  They 
did  not  know  the  secret  of  Mimer's  well, 
how  the  hoary  old  giant  was  far  more  wise 
than  any  one  who  had  not  quaffed  of  the 


HOW  ODIN  LOST  HIS  EYE     19 

magic  water.  It  is  true  that  in  the  assemblies 
of  the  Vanir  Hcenir  gave  excellent  counsel. 
But  this  was  because  Mimer  whispered  in 
Hcenir's  ear  all  the  wisdom  that  he  uttered. 
Witless  Hoenir  was  quite  helpless  without 
his  aid,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do  or  say. 
Whenever  Mimer  was  absent  he  would  look 
nervous  and  frightened,  and  if  folk  ques- 
tioned him  he  always  answered  :  — 

"  Yes,  ah  yes !  Now  go  and  consult  some 
one  else." 

Of  course  the  Vanir  soon  grew  very  angry 
at  such  silly  answers  from  their  chief,  and 
presently  they  began  to  suspect  the  truth. 
"  Odin  has  deceived  us,"  they  said.  "  He  has 
sent  us  his  foolish  brother  with  a  witch  to  tell 
him  what  to  say.  Ha !  We  will  show  him 
that  we  understand  the  trick."  So  they  cut 
off  poor  old  Mimer' s  head  and  sent  it  to 
Odin  as  a  present. 

The  tales  do  not  say  what  Odin  thought 
of  the  gift.  Perhaps  he  was  glad  that  now 
there  was  no  one  in  the  whole  world  who 
could  be  called  so  wise  as  himself.  Perhaps 
he  was  sorry  for  the  danger  into  which  he 
had  thrust  a  poor  old  giant  who  had  nevel 


20    HOW  ODIN  LOST  HIS  EYE 

done  him  any  wrong,  except  to  be  a  giant 
of  the  race  which  the  JEsir  hated.  Perhaps 
he  was  a  little  ashamed  of  the  trick  which  he 
had  played  the  Vanir.  Odin's  new  wisdom 
showed  him  how  to  prepare  Mimer's  head 
with  herbs  and  charms,  so  that  it  stood  up 
by  itself  quite  naturally  and  seemed  not  dead. 
Thenceforth  Odin  kept  it  near  him,  and 
learned  from  it  many  useful  secrets  which 
it  had  not  forgotten. 

So  in  the  end  Odin  fared  better  than 
the  unhappy  Mimer,  whose  worst  fault  was 
that  he  knew  more  than  most  folk.  That 
is  a  dangerous  fault,  as  others  have  found; 
though  it  is  not  one  for  which  many  of  us 
need  fear  being  punished. 


KVASIR'S   BLOOD  *  > 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  man 
named  Kvasir,  who  was  so  wise  that 
no  one  could  ask  him  a  question 
to  which  he  did  not  know  the  answer,  and 
who  was  so  eloquent  that  his  words  dripped 
from  his  lips  like  notes  of  music  from  a  lute. 
For  Kvasir  was  the  first  poet  who  ever  lived, 
the  first  of  those  wise  makers  of  songs  whom 
the  Norse  folk  named  skalds.  This  Kvasir 
received  his  precious  gifts  wonderfully;  for 
he  was  made  by  the  gods  and  the  Vanir, 
those  two  mighty  races,  to  celebrate  the 
peace  which  was  evermore  to  be  between 
them. 

Up  and  down  the  world  Kvasir  traveled, 
lending  his  wisdom  to  the  use  of  men,  his 
brothers ;  and  wherever  he  went  he  brought 
smiles  and  joy  and  comfort,  for  with  his 
wisdom  he  found  the  cause  of  all  men's 
troubles,  and  with  his  songs  he  healed  them. 
This  is  what  the  poets  have  been  doing  in 
all  the  ages  ever  since.  Folk  declare  that 
every  skald  has  a  drop  of  Kvasir's  blood  in 
him.  This  is  the  tale  which  is  told  to  show 


22  KVASIR'S  BLOOD 

how  it  happened  that  Kvasir's  blessed  skill 
has  never  been  lost  to  the  world. 

There  were  two  wicked  dwarfs  named 
Fialar  and  Galar  who  envied  Kvasir  his 
power  over  the  hearts  of  men,  and  who 
plotted  to  destroy  him.  So  one  day  they  in- 
vited him  to  dine,  and  while  he  was  there, 
they  begged  him  to  come  aside  with  them, 
for  they  had  a  very  secret  question  to  ask, 
which  only  he  could  answer.  Kvasir  never 
refused  to  turn  his  wisdom  to  another's  help ; 
so,  nothing  suspecting,  he  went  with  them  to 
hear  their  trouble. 

Thereupon  this  sly  pair  of  wicked  dwarfs 
led  him  into  a  lonely  corner.  Treacherously 
they  slew  Kvasir ;  and  because  their  cun- 
ning taught  them  that  his  blood  must  be 
precious,  they  saved  it  in  three  huge  kettles, 
and  mixing  it  with  honey,  made  thereof  a 
magic  drink.  Truly,  a  magic  drink  it  was ; 
for  whoever  tasted  of  Kvasir's  blood  was 
straightway  filled  with  Kvasir's  spirit,  so  that 
his  heart  taught  wisdom  and  his  lips  uttered 
the  sweetest  poesy.  Thus  the  wicked  dwarfs 
became  possessed  of  a  wonderful  treasure. 

When  the  gods  missed  the  silver  voice 


KVASIR'S   BLOOD  23 

of  Kvasir  echoing  up  from  the  world  below, 
they  were  alarmed,  for  Kvasir  was  very 
dear  to  them.  They  inquired  what  had  be- 
come of  him,  and  finally  the  wily  dwarfs 
answered  that  the  good  poet  had  been 
drowned  in  his  own  wisdom.  But  Father 
Odin,  who  had  tasted  another  wise  draught 
from  Mimer's  well,  knew  that  this  was  not 
the  truth,  and  kept  his  watchful  eye  upon 
the  dark  doings  of  Fialar  and  Galar. 

Not  long  after  this  the  dwarfs  committed 
another  wicked  deed.  They  invited  the  giant 
Gilling  to  row  out  to  sea  with  them,  and  when 
they  were  a  long  distance  from  shore,  the 
wicked  fellows  upset  the  boat  and  drowned 
the  giant,  who  could  not  swim.  They  rowed 
back  to  land,  and  told  the  giant's  wife  how 
the  "accident"  had  happened.  Then  there 
were  giant  shrieks  and  howls  enough  to 
deafen  all  the  world,  for  the  poor  giantess 
was  heartbroken,  and  her  grief  was  a  giant 
grief.  Her  sobs  annoyed  the  cruel-hearted 
dwarfs.  So  Fialar,  pretending  to  sympathize, 
offered  to  take  her  where  she  could  look  upon 
the  spot  where  her  dear  husband  had  last 
been  seen.  As  she  passed  through  the  gate- 


24  KVASIR'S   BLOOD 

way,  the  other  dwarf,  to  whom  his  brothet 
had  made  a  sign,  let  a  huge  millstone  fall 
upon  her  head.  That  was  the  ending  of  her, 
poor  thing,  and  of  her  sorrow,  which  had  so 
disturbed  the  little  people,  crooked  in  heart 
as  in  body. 

But  punishment  was  in  store  for  them. 
Suttung,  the  huge  son  of  Gilling,  learned  the 
story  of  his  parents'  death,  and  presently, 
in  a  dreadful  rage,  he  came  roaring  to  the 
home  of  the  dwarfs.  He  seized  one  of  them 
in  each  big  fist,  and  wading  far  out  to  sea,  set 
the  wretched  little  fellows  on  a  rock  which 
at  high  tide  would  be  covered  with  water. 

"Stay  there,"  he  cried,  "and  drown  as 
my  father  drowned ! "  The  dwarfs  screamed 
thereat  for  mercy  so  loudly  that  he  had  to 
listen  before  he  went  away. 

"  Only  let  us  off,  Suttung,"  they  begged, 
"  and  you  shall  have  the  precious  mead 
made  from  Kvasir's  blood." 

Now  Suttung  was  very  anxious  to  own 
this  same  mead,  so  at  last  he  agreed  to  the 
bargain.  He  carried  them  back  to  land,  and 
they  gave  him  the  kettles  in  which  they  had 
mixed  the  magic  fluid.  Suttung  took  them 


KVASIR'S   BLOOD  25 

away  to  his  cave  in  the  mountains,  and  gave 
them  in  charge  of  his  fair  daughter  Gunn- 
lod.  All  day  and  all  night  she  watched  by 
the  precious  kettles,  to  see  that  no  one  came 
to  steal  or  taste  of  the  mead ;  for  Suttung 
thought  of  it  as  his  greatest  treasure,  and  no 
wonder. 

Father  Odin  had  seen  all  these  deeds  from 
his  seat  above  the  heavens,  and  his  eye  had 
followed^  longingly  the  passage  of  the  won- 
drous mead,  for  Odin  longed  to  have  a 
draught  of  it.  Odin  had  wisdom,  he  had 
drained  that  draught  from  the  bottom  of 
Mimer's  mystic  fountain ;  but  he  lacked  the 
skill  of  speech  which  comes  of  drinking 
Kvasir's  blood.  He  wanted  the  mead  for 
himself  and  for  his  children  in  Asgard,  and 
it  seemed  a  shame  that  this  precious  treasure 
should  be  wasted  upon  the  wicked  giants 
who  were  their  enemies.  So  he  resolved  to 
try  if  it  might  not  be  won  in  some  sly  way. 

One  day  he  put  on  his  favorite  disguise  as 
u  wandering  old  man,  and  set  out  for  Giant- 
Land,  where  Suttung  dwelt.  By  and  by  he 
came  to  a  field  where  nine  workmen  were 
cutting  hay.  Now  these  were  the  servants 


26  KVASIR'S   BLOOD 

of  Baugi,  the  brother  of  Suttung,  and  this 
Odin  knew.  He  walked  up  to  the  men  and 
watched  them  working  for  a  little  while. 

"Ho!"  he  exclaimed  at  last,  "your 
scythes  are  dull.  Shall  I  whet  them  for 
you  ? "  The  men  were  glad  enough  to  ac- 
cept his  offer,  so  Odin  took  a  whetstone  from 
his  pocket  and  sharpened  all  the  scythes 
most  wonderfully.  Then  the  men  wanted  to 
buy  the  stone ;  each  man  would  have  it  for 
his  own,  and  they  fell  to  quarreling  over  it. 
To  make  matters  more  exciting,  Odin  tossed 
the  whetstone  into  their  midst,  saying :  — 

"  Let  him  have  it  who  catches  it !  "  Then 
indeed  there  was  trouble !  The  men  fought 
with  one  another  for  the  stone,  slashing  right 
and  left  with  their  sharp  scythes  until  every 
one  was  killed.  Odin  hastened  away,  and  went 
up  to  the  house  where  Baugi  lived.  Pre- 
sently home  came  Baugi,  complaining  loudly 
and  bitterly  because  his  quarrelsome  servants 
had  killed  one  another,  so  that  there  was  not 
one  left  to  do  his  work. 

"  What  am  I  going  to  do  ? "  he  cried. 
"  Here  it  is  mowing  time,  and  I  have  not  a 
single  man  to  help  me  in  the  field ! " 


KVASIR'S   BLOOD  27 

Then  Odin  spoke  up.  "  I  will  help  you," 
he  said.  "  I  am  a  stout  fellow,  and  I  can  do 
the  work  of  nine  men  if  I  am  paid  the  price 
I  ask." 

"What  is  the  price  which  you  ask?" 
queried  Baugi  eagerly,  for  he  saw  that  this 
stranger  was  a  mighty  man,  and  he  thought 
that  perhaps  he  could  do  as  he  boasted. 

"  I  ask  that  you  get  for  me  a  drink  of 
Suttung's  mead,"  Odin  answered. 

Then  Baugi  eyed  him  sharply.  "  You  are 
one  of  the  gods,"  he  said,  "  or  you  would  not 
know  about  the  precious  mead.  Therefore  I 
know  that  you  can  do  my  work,  the  work  of 
nine  men.  I  cannot  give  you  the  mead.  It  is 
my  brother's,  and  he  is  very  jealous  of  it,  for 
he  wishes  it  all  himself.  But  if  you  will  work, 
for  me  all  the  summer,  when  winter  comes  I 
will  go  with  you  to  Suttung's  home  and  try 
what  I  can  do  to  get  a  draught  for  you." 

So  they  made  the  bargain,  and  all  summer 
Father  Odin  worked  in  the  fields  of  Baugi, 
doing  the  work  of  nine  men.  When  the 
winter  came,  he  demanded  his  pay.  So  then 
they  set  out  for  Suttung's  home,  which  was 
a  cave  deep  down  in  the  mountains,  where  it 


28  KVASIR'S   BLOOD 

seems  not  hard  to  hide  one's  treasures.  First 
Baugi  went  to  his  brother  and  told  him  of 
the  agreement  between  him  and  the  stranger, 
begging  for  a  gift  of  the  magic  mead  where- 
with to  pay  the  stout  laborer  who  had  done 
the  work  of  nine.  But  Suttung  refused  to 
spare  even  a  taste  of  the  precious  liquor. 

"  This  laborer  of  yours  is  one  of  the  gods, 
our  enemies,"  he  said.  "  Indeed,  I  will  not 
give  him  of  the  precious  mead.  What  are 
you  thinking  of,  brother !  "  Then  he  talked 
to  Baugi  till  the  giant  was  ready  to  forget 
his  promise  to  Odin,  and  to  desire  only  the 
death  of  the  stranger  who  had  come  forward 
to  help  him. 

Baugi  returned  to  Odin  with  the  news  that 
the  mead  was  not  to  be  had  with  Suttung's 
consent.  "  Then  we  must  get  it  without  his 
consent,"  declared  Odin.  "We  must  use  our 
wits  to  steal  it  from  under  his  nose.  You 
must  help  me,  Baugi,  for  you  have  pro 
mised." 

Baugi  agreed  to  this ;  but  in  his  heart  he 
meant  to  entrap  Odin  to  his  death.  Odin 
now  took  from  his  pocket  an  auger  such  as 
one  uses  to  bore  holes.  "  Look,  now,"  he 


KVASIR'S  BLOOD  29 

said.  "  You  shall  bore  a  hole  into  the  roof 
of  Suttung's  cave,  and  when  the  hole  is  large 
enough,  I  will  crawl  through  and  get  the 
mead." 

"  Very  well,"  nodded  Baugi,  and  he  began 
to  bore  into  the  mountain  with  all  his  might 
and  main.  At  last  he  cried,  "There,  it  is 
done ;  the  mountain  is  pierced  through  !  " 
But  when  Odin  blew  into  the  hole  to  see 
whether  it  did  indeed  go  through  into  the 
cave,  the  dust  made  by  the  auger  flew  into 
his  face.  Thus  he  knew  that  Baugi  was  de- 
ceiving him,  and  thenceforth  he  was  on  his 
guard,  which  was  fortunate. 

"  Try  again,"  said  Odin  sternly.  "  Bore  a 
little  deeper,  friend  Baugi."  So  Baugi  went 
at  the  work  once  more,  and  this  time  when 
he  said  the  hole  was  finished,  Odin  found 
that  his  word  was  true,  for  the  dust  blew 
through  the  hole  and  disappeared  in  the  cave. 
Now  Odin  was  ready  to  try  the  plan  which 
he  had  been  forming. 

Odin's  wisdom  taught  him  many  tricks, 
and  among  them  he  knew  the  secret  of 
changing  his  form  into  that  of  any  creature 
he  chose.  He  turned  himself  into  a  worm, 


30  KVASIR'S  BLOOD 

—  a  long,  slender,  wiggly  worm,  just  small 
enough  to  be  able  to  enter  the  hole  that 
Baugi  had  pierced.  In  a  moment  he  had 
thrust  his  head  into  the  opening,  and  was 
wriggling  out  of  sight  before  Baugi  had  even 
guessed  what  he  meant  to  do.  Baugi  jumped 
forward  and  made  a  stab  at  him  with  the 
pointed  auger,  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
worm's  striped  tail  quivered  in  out  of  sight, 
and  Baugi's  wicked  attempt  was  spoiled. 

When  Odin  had  crept  through  the  hole, 
he  found  himself  in  a  dark,  damp  cavern, 
where  at  first  he  could  see  nothing.  He 
changed  himself  back  into  his  own  noble 
form,  and  then  he  began  to  hunt  about  for 
the  kettles  of  magic  mead.  Presently  he 
came  to  a  little  chamber,  carefully  hidden  in 
a  secret  corner  of  this  secret  grotto,  —  a  cham- 
ber locked  and  barred  and  bolted  on  the  in- 
side, so  that  no  one  could  enter  by  the  door. 
Suttung  had  never  thought  of  such  a  thing 
as  that  a  stranger  might  enter  by  a  hole  in  the 
roof! 

At  the  back  of  this  tiny  room  stood  three 
kettles  upon  the  floor ;  and  beside  them,  with 
her  head  resting  on  her  elbow,  sat  a  beautiful 


KVASIR'S   BLOOD  31 

maiden,  sound  asleep.  It  was  Gunnlod,  Sut« 
rung's  daughter,  the  guardian  of  the  mead. 
Odin  stepped  up  to  her  very  softly,  and 
bending  over,  kissed  her  gently  upon  the 
forehead.  Gunnlod  awoke  with  a  start,  and 
at  first  she  was  horrified  to  find  a  stranger  in 
the  cave  where  it  seemed  impossible  that  a 
stranger  could  enter.  But  when  she  saw  the 
beauty  of  Odin's  face  and  the  kind  look  of 
his  eye,  she  was  no  longer  afraid,  but  glad 
that  he  had  come.  For  poor  Gunnlod  often 
grew  lonesome  in  this  gloomy  cellar-home, 
where  Suttung  kept  her  prisoner  day  and 
night  to  watch  over  the  three  kettles. 

"  Dear  maiden,"  said  Odin,  "  I  have  come  a 
long,  long  distance  to  see  you.  Will  you  not 
bid  me  stay  a  little  while  2  " 

Gunnlod  looked  at  him  kindly.  "Who 
are  you,  and  whence  do  you  come  so  far  to 
see  me  *?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  am  Odin,  from  Asgard.  The  way  is 
long  and  I  am  thirsty.  Shall  I  not  taste  the 
liquor  which  you  have  there  ?  " 

Gunnlod  hesitated.  "  My  father  bade  me 
never  let  soul  taste  of  the  mead,"  she  said 
44 1  am  sorry  for  you,  however,  poor  fellow, 


32  KVASIR'S   BLOOD 

You  look  very  tired  and  thirsty.  You  may 
have  one  little  sip."  Then  Odin  kissed  her 
and  thanked  her,  and  tarried  there  with  such 
pleasant  words  for  the  maiden  that  before  he 
was  ready  to  go  she  granted  him  what  he 
asked,  —  three  draughts,  only  three  draughts 
of  the  mead. 

Now  Odin  took  up  the  first  kettle  to  drink, 
and  with  one  draught  he  drained  the  whole. 
He  did  the  same  by  the  next,  and  the  next, 
till  before  she  knew  it,  Gunnlod  found  her- 
self guarding  three  empty  kettles.  Odin  had 
gained  what  he  came  for,  and  it  was  time  for 
him  to  be  gone  before  Suttung  should  come 
to  seek  him  in  the  cave.  He  kissed  fair 
Gunnlod  once  again,  with  a  sigh  to  think 
that  he  must  treat  her  so  unfairly.  Then  he 
changed  himself  into  an  eagle,  and  away 
he  flew  to  carry  the  precious  mead  home  to 
Asgard. 

Meanwhile  Baugi  had  told  the  giant  Sut- 
tung how  Odin  the  worm  had  pierced  through 
into  his  treasure-cave;  and  when  Suttung, 
who  was  watching,  saw  the  great  eagle  fly 
forth,  he  guessed  who  this  eagle  must  be. 
Suttung  also  put  on  an  eagle's  plumage,  and 


KVASIR'S  BLOOD  33 

a  wonderful  chase  began.  Whirr,  whirr ! 
The  two  enormous  birds  winged  their  way 
toward  Asgard,  Suttung  close  upon  the 
other's  flight.  Over  the  mountains  they  flew, 
and  the  world  was  darkened  as  if  by  the  pas- 
sage of  heavy  storm-clouds,  while  the  trees, 
blown  by  the  breeze  from  their  wings,  swayed, 
and  bent  almost  to  the  ground. 

It  was  a  close  race ;  but  Odin  was  the 
swifter  of  the  two,  and  at  last  he  had  the  mead 
safe  in  Asgard,  where  the  gods  were  waiting 
with  huge  dishes  to  receive  it  from  his  mouth. 
Suttung  was  so  close  upon  him,  however, 
that  he  jostled  Odin  even  as  he  was  filling 
the  last  dish,  and  some  of  the  mead  was 
spilled  about  in  every  direction  over  the 
world.  Men  rushed  from  far  and  near  to  taste 
of  these  wasted  drops  of  Kvasir's  blood,  and 
many  had  just  enough  to  make  them  dizzy, 
but  not  enough  to  make  them  wise.  These 
folk  are  the  poor  poets,  the  makers  of  bad 
verses,  whom  one  finds  to  this  day  satisfied 
with  their  meagre,  stolen  portion,  scattered 
drops  of  the  sacred  draught. 

The  mead  that  Odin  had  captured  he  gave 
to  the  gods,  a  wondrous  gift;  and  they  in 


34  KVASIR'S   BLOOD 

turn  cherished  it  as  their  most  precious  trea- 
sure. It  was  given  into  the  special  charge 
of  old  Bragi  of  the  white  beard,  because  his 
taste  of  the  magic  mead  had  made  him  wise 
and  eloquent  above  all  others.  He  was  the 
sweetest  singer  of  all  the  ^Esir,  and  his  speech 
was  poetry.  Sometimes  Bragi  gave  a  draught 
of  Kvasir's  blood  to  some  favored  mortal, 
and  then  he  also  became  a  great  poet.  He 
did  not  do  this  often,  —  only  once  or  twice 
in  the  memory  of  an  old  man;  for  the 
precious  mead  must  be  made  to  last  a  long, 
long  time,  until  the  world  be  ready  to  drop 
to  pieces,  because  this  world  without  its 
poets  would  be  too  dreadful  a  place  to  i 
agine. 


THE  GIANT  BUILDER 


A1ES  and  ages  ago,  when  the  world 
was  first  made,  the  gods  decided  to 
build  a  beautiful  city  high  above  the 
heavens,  the  most  glorious  and  wonderful  city 
that  ever  was  known.   Asgard  was  to  be  its 
name,  and  it  was  to  stand  on  Ida  Plain  under 
the  shade  of  Yggdrasil,  the  great  tree  whose 
roots  were  underneath  the  earth. 

First  of  all  they  built  a  house  with  a  silver 
roof,  where  there  were  seats  for  all  the  twelve 
chiefs.  In  the  midst,  and  high  above  the 
rest,  was  the  wonder-throne  of  Odin  the  All- 
Father,  whence  he  could  see  everything  that 
happened  in  the  sky  or  on  the  earth  or  in  the 
sea.  Next  they  made  a  fair  house  for  Queen 
Frigg  and  her  lovely  daughters.  Then  they 
built  a  smithy,  with  its  great  hammers,  tongs, 
anvils,  and  bellows,  where  the  gods  could 
work  at  their  favorite  trade,  the  making  of 
beautiful  things  out  of  gold  ;  which  they  did 
so  well  that  folk  name  that  time  the  Golden 
Age.  Afterwards,  as  they  had  more  leisure, 
they  built  separate  houses  for  all  the  ^Esir, 
each  more  beautiful  than  the  preceding,  foi 


36        THE  GIANT  BUILDER 

of  course  they  were  continually  growing 
more  skillful.  They  saved  Father  Odin's 
palace  until  the  last,  for  they  meant  this  to 
be  the  largest  and  the  most  splendid  of  all. 

Gladsheim,  the  home  of  joy,  was  the  name 
of  Odin's  house,  and  it  was  built  all  of  gold, 
set  in  the  midst  of  a  wood  whereof  the  trees 
had  leaves  of  ruddy  gold,  —  like  an  autumn- 
gilded  forest.  For  the  safety  of  All-Father 
it  was  surrounded  by  a  roaring  river  and  by 
a  high  picket  fence ;  and  there  was  a  great 
courtyard  within. 

The  glory  of  Gladsheim  was  its  wondrous 
hall,  radiant  with  gold,  the  most  lovely 
room  that  time  has  ever  seen.  Valhalla,  the 
Hall  of  Heroes,  was  the  name  of  it,  and  it 
was  roofed  with  the  mighty  shields  of  war- 
riors. The  ceiling  was  made  of  interlacing 
spears,  and  there  was  a  portal  at  the  west 
end  before  which  hung  a  great  gray  wolf, 
while  over  him  a  fierce  eagle  hovered.  The 
hall  was  so  huge  that  it  had  540  gates, 
through  each  of  which  800  men  could  march 
abreast.  Indeed,  there  needed  to  be  room, 
for  this  was  the  hall  where  every  morning 
Odin  received  all  the  brave  warriors  who  had 


THE  GIANT   BUILDER        37 

died  in  battle  on  the  earth  below ;  and  there 
were  many  heroes  in  those  days. 

This  was  the  reward  which  the  gods  gave 
to  courage.  When  a  hero  had  gloriously 
lost  his  life,  the  Valkyries,  the  nine  warrior 
daughters  of  Odin,  brought  his  body  up  to 
Valhalla  on  their  white  horses  that  gallop  the 
clouds.  There  they  lived  forever  after  in 
happiness,  enjoying  the  things  that  they  had 
most  loved  upon  earth.  Every  morning  they 
armed  themselves  and  went  out  to  fight  with 
one  another  in  the  great  courtyard.  It  was 
a  wondrous  game,  wondrously  played.  No 
matter  how  often  a  hero  was  killed,  he  be- 
came alive  again  in  time  to  return  perfectly 
well  to  Valhalla,  where  he  ate  a  delicious 
breakfast  with  the  JEsir ;  while  the  beautiful 
Valkyries  who  had  first  brought  him  thither 
waited  at  table  and  poured  the  blessed  mead, 
which  only  the  immortal  taste.  A  happy  life 
it  was  for  the  heroes,  and  a  happy  life  for  all 
who  dwelt  in  Asgard;  for  this  was  before 
trouble  had  come  among  the  gods,  following 
the  mischief  of  Loki. 

This  is  how  the  trouble  began.  From  the 
beginning  of  time,  the  giants  had  been  un« 


38         THE  GIANT   BUILDER 

friendly  to  the  ^Esir,  because  the  giants  were 
older  and  huger  and  more  wicked ;  besides, 
they  were  jealous  because  the  good  ^Esii 
were  fast  gaining  more  wisdom  and  powef 
than  the  giants  had  ever  known.  It  was  the 
JEsir  who  set  the  fair  brother  and  sister,  Sun 
and  Moon,  in  the  sky  to  give  light  to  men; 
and  it  was  they  also  who  made  the  jeweled 
stars  out  of  sparks  from  the  place  of  fire. 
The  giants  hated  the  JEsir,  and  tried  all  in 
their  power  to  injure  them  and  the  men  of 
the  earth  below,  whom  the  ^Esir  loved  and 
cared  for.  The  gods  had  already  built  a 
wall  around  Midgard,  the  world  of  men,  to 
keep  the  giants  out ;  built  it  of  the  bushy 
eyebrows  of  Ymir,  the  oldest  and  hugest  of 
giants.  Between  Asgard  and  the  giants  flowed 
Ifing,  the  great  river  on  which  ice  never 
formed,  and  which  the  gods  crossed  on  the 
rainbow  bridge.  But  this  was  not  protection 
enough.  Their  beautiful  new  city  needed  a 
fortress. 

So  the  word  went  forth  in  Asgard, — "We 
must  build  us  a  fortress  against  the  giants  \ 
the  hugest,  strongest,  finest  fortress  that  evei 
was  built." 


THE  GIANT   BUILDER        39 

Now  one  day,  soon  after  they  had  an- 
nounced this  decision,  there  came  a  mighty 
man  stalking  up  the  rainbow  bridge  that  led 
to  Asgard  city. 

"  Who  goes  there  ! "  cried  Heimdal  the 
watchman,  whose  eyes  were  so  keen  that  he 
could  see  for  a  hundred  miles  around,  and 
whose  ears  were  so  sharp  that  he  could  hear 
the  grass  growing  in  the  meadow  and  the 
wool  on  the  backs  of  the  sheep.  "  Who  goes 
there  !  No  one  can  enter  Asgard  if  I  say 
no," 

"  I  am  a  builder,"  said  the  stranger,  who 
was  a  huge  fellow  with  sleeves  rolled  up  to 
show  the  iron  muscles  of  his  arms.  "  I  am  a 
builder  of  strong  towers,  and  I  have  heard 
that  the  folk  of  Asgard  need  one  to  help  them 
raise  a  fair  fortress  in  their  city." 

Heimdal  looked  at  the  stranger  narrowly, 
for  there  was  that  about  him  which  his  sharp 
eyes  did  not  like.  But  he  made  no  answer, 
only  blew  on  his  golden  horn,  which  was  so 
loud  that  it  sounded  through  all  the  world. 
At  this  signal  all  the  ^Esir  came  running  to 
the  rainbow  bridge,  from  wherever  they  hap- 
pened to  be,  to  find  out  who  was  coming  to 


40        THE  GIANT  BUILDER 

Asgard.  For  it  was  Heimdal's  duty  ever  to 
warn  them  of  the  approach  of  the  unknown. 

"  This  fellow  says  he  is  a  builder,"  quoth 
Heimdal.  "And  he  would  fain  build  us  a 
fortress  in  the  city." 

"  Ay,  that  I  would,"  nodded  the  stranger. 
"  Look  at  my  iron  arm ;  look  at  my  broad 
back ;  look  at  my  shoulders.  Am  I  not  the 
workman  you  need  ?  " 

"Truly,  he  is  a  mighty  figure,"  vowed 
Odin,  looking  at  him  approvingly.  "  How 
long  will  it  take  you  alone  to  build  our  for- 
tress? We  can  allow  but  one  stranger  at  a 
time  within  our  city,  for  safety's  sake." 

"  In  three  half-years,"  replied  the  stranger, 
"  I  will  undertake  to  build  for  you  a  castle  so 
strong  that  not  even  the  giants,  should  they 
swarm  hither  over  Midgard,  —  not  even 
they  could  enter  without  your  leave." 

"  Aha ! "  cried  Father  Odin,  well  pleased  at 
this  offer.  "And  what  reward  do  you  ask, 
friend,  for  help  so  timely  ?  " 

The  stranger  hummed  and  hawed  and 
pulled  his  long  beard  while  he  thought 
Then  he  spoke  suddenly,  as  if  the  idea  had 
just  come  into  his  mind.  "  I  will  name  my 


THE  GIANT   BUILDER        41 

price,  friends,"  he  said;  "a  small  price  for  so 
great  a  deed.  I  ask  you  to  give  me  Freia  for 
my  wife,  and  those  two  sparkling  jewels,  the 
Sun  and  Moon." 

At  this  demand  the  gods  looked  grave; 
for  Freia  was  their  dearest  treasure.  She  was 
the  most  beautiful  maid  who  ever  lived,  the 
light  and  life  of  heaven,  and  if  she  should 
leave  Asgard,  joy  would  go  with  her;  while 
the  Sun  and  Moon  were  the  light  and  life 
of  the  ^Esir's  children,  men,  who  lived  in  the 
little  world  below.  But  Loki  the  sly  whis- 
pered that  they  would  be  safe  enough  if  they 
made  another  condition  on  their  part,  so  hard 
that  the  builder  could  not  fulfill  it  After 
thinking  cautiously,  he  spoke  for  them  all. 

"  Mighty  man,"  quoth  he,  "  we  are  willing 
to  agree  to  your  price  —  upon  one  condition. 
It  is  too  long  a  time  that  you  ask;  we  can- 
not wait  three  half-years  for  our  castle ;  that 
is  equal  to  three  centuries  when  one  is  in  a 
hurry.  See  that  you  finish  the  fort  without 
help  in  one  winter,  one  short  winter,  and  you 
shall  have  fair  Freia  with  the  Sun  and  Moon. 
But  if,  on  the  first  day  of  summer,  one  stone 
is  wanting  to  the  walls,  or  if  any  one  has 


42        THE  GIANT   BUILDER 

given  you  aid  in  the  building,  then  your  re- 
ward is  lost,  and  you  shall  depart  without 
payment."  So  spoke  Loki,  in  the  name  of 
all  the  gods;  but  the  plan  was  his  own. 

At  first  the  stranger  shook  his  head  and 
frowned,  saying  that  in  so  short  a  time  no 
one  unaided  could  complete  the  undertak- 
ing. At  last  he  made  another  offer.  "  Let 
me  have  but  my  good  horse  to  help  me,  and 
I  will  try,"  he  urged.  "Let  me  bring  the 
useful  Svadilfori  with  me  to  the  task,  and 
I  will  finish  the  work  in  one  winter  of  short 
days,  or  lose  my  reward.  Surely,  you  will  not 
deny  me  this  little  help,  from  one  four-footed 
friend." 

Then  again  the  ^Esir  consulted,  and  the 
wiser  of  them  were  doubtful  whether  it  were 
best  to  accept  the  stranger's  offer  so  strangely 
made.  But  again  Loki  urged  them  to  accept. 
"Surely,  there  is  no  harm,"  he  said.  "Even 
with  his  old  horse  to  help  him,  he  cannot 
build  the  castle  in  the  promised  time.  We 
shall  gain  a  fortress  without  trouble  and  with 
never  a  price  to  pay." 

Loki  was  so  eager  that,  although  the  other 
ir  did  not  like  this  crafty  way  of  making 


THE  GIANT   BUILDER        43 

bargains,  they  finally  consented.  Then  in 
the  presence  of  the  heroes,  with  the  Valkyries 
and  Mimer's  head  for  witnesses,  the  stranger 
and  the  JEsir  gave  solemn  promise  that  the 
bargain  should  be  kept. 

On  the  first  day  of  winter  the  strange 
builder  began  his  work,  and  wondrous  was 
the  way  he  set  about  it.  His  strength  seemed 
as  the  strength  of  a  hundred  men.  As  for 
his  horse  Svadilfori,  he  did  more  work  by 
half  than  even  the  mighty  builder.  In  the 
night  he  dragged  the  enormous  rocks  that 
were  to  be  used  in  building  the  castle,  rocks 
as  big  as  mountains  of  the  earth;  while  in 
the  daytime  the  stranger  piled  them  into 
place  with  his  iron  arms.  The  JEsir  watched 
him  with  amazement ;  never  was  seen  such 
strength  in  Asgard.  Neither  Tyr  the  stout 
nor  Thor  the  strong  could  match  the  power 
of  the  stranger.  The  gods  began  to  look  at 
one  another  uneasily.  Who  was  this  mighty 
one  who  had  come  among  them,  and  what 
if  after  all  he  should  win  his  reward *?  Freia 
trembled  in  her  palace,  and  the  Sun  and 
Moon  grew  dim  with  fear. 

Still  the  work  went  on,  and  the  fort  was 


44        THE  GIANT   BUILDER 

piling  higher  and  higher,  by  day  and  by 
night.  There  were  but  three  days  left  before 
the  end  of  winter,  and  already  the  building 
was  so  tall  and  so  strong  that  it  was  safe  from 
the  attacks  of  any  giant.  The  JEsir  were  de- 
lighted with  their  fine  new  castle;  but  their 
pride  was  dimmed  by  the  fear  that  it  must  be 
paid  for  at  all  too  costly  a  price.  For  only 
the  gateway  remained  to  be  completed,  and 
unless  the  stranger  should  fail  to  finish  that 
in  the  next  three  days,  they  must  give  him 
Freia  with  the  Sun  and  Moon. 

The  JEsir  held  a  meeting  upon  Ida  Plain, 
a  meeting  full  of  fear  and  anger.  At  last 
they  realized  what  they  had  done ;  they  had 
made  a  bargain  with  one  of  the  giants,  their 
enemies;  and  if  he  won  the  prize,  it  would 
mean  sorrow  and  darkness  in  heaven  and 
upon  earth.  "  How  did  we  happen  to  agree 
to  so  mad  a  bargain  ?  "  they  asked  one  an- 
other. "Who  suggested  the  wicked  plan 
which  bids  fair  to  cost  us  all  that  we  most 
cherish?"  Then  they  remembered  that  it 
was  Loki  who  had  made  the  plan;  it  was 
he  who  had  insisted  that  it  be  carried  out 
and  they  blamed  him  for  all  the  trouble. 


THE  GIANT  BUILDER        45 

"It  is  your  counsels,  Loki,  that  have 
brought  this  danger  upon  us,"  quoth  Father 
Odin,  frowning.  "  You  chose  the  way  of 
guile,  which  is  not  our  way.  It  now  remains 
for  you  to  help  us  by  guile,  if  you  can.  But 
if  you  cannot  save  for  us  Freia  and  the  Sun 
and  Moon,  you  shall  die.  This  is  my  word." 
All  the  other  JEsir  agreed  that  this  was  jnst. 
Thor  alone  was  away  hunting  evil  demons 
at  the  other  end  of  the  world,  so  he  did  not 
know  what  was  going  on,  and  what  dangers 
were  threatening  Asgard. 

Loki  was  much  frightened  at  the  word  of 
All-Father.  "  It  was  my  fault,"  he  cried,  "  but 
how  was  I  to  know  that  he  was  a  giant? 
He  had  disguised  himself  so  that  he  seemed 
but  a  strong  man.  And  as  for  his  horse,  — 
it  looks  much  like  that  of  other  folk.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  horse,  he  could  not  finish  the 
work.  Ha !  I  have  a  thought !  The  builder 
shall  not  finish  the  gate ;  the  giant  shall  not 
receive  his  payment.  I  will  cheat  the  fel- 
low." 

Now  it  was  the  last  night  of  winter,  and 
there  remained  but  a  few  stones  to  put  in 
place  on  the  top  of  the  wondrous  gateway. 


46        THE  GIANT  BUILDER 

The  giant  was  sure  of  his  prize,  and  chuckled 
to  himself  as  he  went  out  with  his  horse  to 
drag  the  remaining  stones;  for  he  did  not 
know  that  the  JEsir  had  guessed  at  last  who 
he  was,  and  that  Loki  was  plotting  to  out- 
wit him.  Hardly  had  he  gone  to  work  when 
out  of  the  wood  came  running  a  pretty  little 
mare,  who  neighed  to  Svadilfori  as  if  inviting 
the  tired  horse  to  leave  his  work  and  come 
to  the  green  fields  for  a  holiday. 

Svadilfori,  you  must  remember,  had  been 
working  hard  all  winter,  with  never  a  sight 
of  four-footed  creature  of  his  kind,  and  he 
was  very  lonesome  and  tired  of  dragging 
stones.  Giving  a  snort  of  disobedience,  off 
he  ran  after  this  new  friend  towards  the  grassy 
meadows.  Off  went  the  giant  after  him, 
howling  with  rage,  and  running  for  dear  life* 
as  he  saw  not  only  his  horse  but  his  chance 
of  success  slipping  out  of  reach.  It  was  a 
mad  chase,  and  all  Asgard  thundered  with 
the  noise  of  galloping  hoofs  and  the  giant's 
mighty  tread.  The  mare  who  raced  ahead 
was  Loki  in  disguise,  and  he  led  Svadilfori 
far  out  of  reach,  to  a  hidden  meadow  that  he 
knew ;  so  that  the  giant  howled  and  panted 


THE  GIANT  BUILDER        47 

up  and  down  all  night  long,  without  catch- 
ing even  a  sight  of  his  horse. 

Now  when  the  morning  came  the  gateway 
was  still  unfinished,  and  night  and  winter  had 
ended  at  the  same  hour.  The  giant's  time 
was  over,  and  he  had  forfeited  his  reward. 
The  JEsir  came  flocking  to  the  gateway,  and 
how  they  laughed  and  triumphed  when  they 
found  three  stones  wanting  to  complete  the 
gate ! 

"  You  have  failed,  fellow,"  judged  Father 
Odin  sternly,  "  and  no  price  shall  we  pay  for 
work  that  is  still  undone.  You  have  failed. 
Leave  Asgard  quickly;  we  have  seen  all  we 
want  of  you  and  of  your  race." 

Then  the  giant  knew  that  he  was  dis- 
covered, and  he  was  mad  with  rage.  "  It  was 
a  trick ! "  he  bellowed,  assuming  his  own 
proper  form,  which  was  huge  as  a  mountain, 
and  towered  high  beside  the  fortress  that  he 
had  built.  "  It  was  a  wicked  trick.  You 
shall  pay  for  this  in  one  way  or  another.  I 
cannot  tear  down  the  castle  which,  ungrate* 
ful  ones,  I  have  built  you,  stronger  than  the 
strength  of  any  giant.  But  I  will  demolish 


48        THE  GIANT   BUILDER 

the  rest  of  your  shining  city ! "  Indeed,  he 
would  have  done  so  in  his  mighty  rage; 
but  at  this  moment  Thor,  whom  Heimdal 
had  called  from  the  end  of  the  earth  by  one 
blast  of  the  golden  horn,  came  rushing  to  the 
rescue,  drawn  in  his  chariot  of  goats.  Thor 
jumped  to  the  ground  close  beside  the  giant, 
and  before  that  huge  fellow  knew  what  had 
happened,  his  head  was  rolling  upon  the 
ground  at  Father  Odin's  feet ;  for  with  one 
blow  Thor  had  put  an  end  to  the  giant's 
wickedness  and  had  saved  Asgard. 

"  This  is  the  reward  you  deserve ! "  Thor 
cried.  "Not  Freia  nor  the  Sun  and  Moon, 
but  the  death  that  I  have  in  store  for  all  the 
enemies  of  the  ^Esir." 

In  this  extraordinary  way  the  noble  city  of 
Asgard  was  made  safe  and  complete  by  the 
addition  of  a  fortress  which  no  one,  not  even 
the  giant  who  built  it,  could  injure,  it  was 
so  wonder-strong.  But  always  at  the  top  of 
the  gate  were  lacking  three  great  stones  that 
no  one  was  mighty  enough  to  lift.  This 
was  a  reminder  to  the  jEsir  that  now  they  had 
the  race  of  giants  for  their  everlasting  enemies. 


THE  GIANT   BUILDER        49 

And  though  Loki's  trick  had  saved  them 
Freia,  and  for  the  world  the  Sun  and  Moon, 
it  was  the  beginning  of  trouble  in  Asgard 
which  lasted  as  long  as  Loki  lived  to  make 
mischief  with  his  guile. 


THE  MAGIC  APPLES  * 

IT  is  not  very  amusing  to  be  a  king. 
Father  Odin  often  grew  tired  of  sitting 
all  day  long  upon  his  golden  throne  in 
Valhalla  above  the  heavens.  He  wearied  of 
welcoming  the  new  heroes  whom  the  Valky- 
ries brought  him  from  wars  upon  the  earth, 
and  of  watching  the  old  heroes  fight  their 
daily  deathless  battles.  He  wearied  of  his 
wise  ravens,  and  the  constant  gossip  which 
they  brought  him  from  the  four  corners  of  the 
world;  and  he  longed  to  escape  from  every 
one  who  knew  him  to  some  place  where  he 
could  pass  for  a  mere  stranger,  instead  of  the 
great  king  of  the  JEsir,  the  mightiest  being 
in  the  whole  universe,  of  whom  every  one 
was  afraid. 

Sometimes  he  longed  so  much  that  he 
could  not  bear  it.  Then  —  he  would  run 
away.  He  disguised  himself  as  a  tall  old 
man,  with  white  hair  and  a  long  gray  beard. 
Around  his  shoulders  he  threw  a  huge  blue 
cloak,  that  covered  him  from  top  to  toe,  and 
over  his  face  he  pulled  a  big  slouch  hat,  to 
hide  his  eyes.  For  his  eyes  Odin  could  not 


THE   MAGIC  APPLES          51 

change  —  no  magician  has  ever  learned  how 
to  do  that.  One  was  empty;  he  had  given 
the  eye  to  the  giant  Mimer  in  exchange  for 
wisdom. 

Usually  Odin  loved  to  go  upon  these  wan- 
derings alone ;  for  an  adventure  is  a  double 
adventure  when  one  meets  it  single-handed. 
It  was  a  fine  game  for  Odin  to  see  how  near 
he  could  come  to  danger  without  feeling  the 
grip  of  its  teeth.  But  sometimes,  when  he 
wanted  company,  he  would  whisper  to  his 
two  brothers,  Hcenir  and  red  Loki.  They 
three  would  creep  out  of  the  palace  by  the 
back  way;  and,  with  a  finger  on  the  lip  to 
Heimdal,  the  watchman,  would  silently  steal 
over  the  rainbow  bridge  which  led  from 
Asgard  into  the  places  of  men  and  dwarfs 
and  giants. 

Wonderful  adventures  they  had,  these 
three,  with  Loki  to  help  make  things  hap- 
pen. Loki  was  a  sly,  mischievous  fellow, 
full  of  his  pranks  and  his  capers,  not  always 
kindly  ones.  But  he  was  clever,  as  well  as 
malicious ;  and  when  he  had  pushed  folk 
into  trouble,  he  could  often  help  them  out 
again,  as  safe  as  ever.  He  could  be  the  jol 


52          THE  MAGIC  APPLES 

liest  of  companions  when  he  chose,  and  Odin 
liked  his  merriment  and  his  witty  talk. 

One  day  Loki  did  something  which  was 
no  mere  jest  nor  easily  forgiven,  for  it  brought 
all  Asgard  into  danger.  And  after  that  Fa- 
ther Odin  and  his  children  thought  twice 
before  inviting  Loki  to  join  them  in  any 
journey  or  undertaking.  This  which  I  am 
about  to  tell  was  the  first  really  wicked  deed 
of  which  Loki  was  found  guilty,  though  I 
am  sure  his  red  beard  had  dabbled  in  secret 
wrongs  before. 

One  night  the  three  high  gods,  Odin, 
Hoenir,  and  Loki,  stole  away  from  Asgard 
in  search  of  adventure.  Over  mountains  and 
deserts,  great  rivers  and  stony  places,  they 
wandered  until  they  grew  very  hungry.  But 
there  was  no  food  to  be  found  —  not  even  a 
berry  or  a  nut. 

Oh,  how  footsore  and  tired  they  were  ! 
And  oh,  how  faint !  The  worst  of  it  ever  is 
that  —  as  you  must  often  have  noticed  — 
the  heavier  one's  feet  grow,  the  lighter  and 
more  hollow  becomes  one's  stomach  ;  which 
seems  a  strange  thing,  when  you  think  of  it. 
If  only  one's  feet  became  as  light  as  the  rest 


THE  MAGIC   APPLES          53 

of  one  feels,  folk  could  fairly  fly  with  hunger. 
Alas !  this  is  not  so. 

The  three  ^Esir  drooped  and  drooped,  and 
seemed  on  the  point  of  starving,  when  they 
came  to  the  edge  of  a  valley.  Here,  looking 
down,  they  saw  a  herd  of  oxen  feeding  on 
the  grass. 

"Hola!"  shouted  Loki.  "  Behold  our 
supper  ! "  Going  down  into  the  valley,  they 
caught  and  killed  one  of  the  oxen,  and,  build- 
ing a  great  bonfire,  hung  up  the  meat  to 
roast.  Then  the  three  sat  around  the  fire  and 
smacked  their  lips,  waiting  for  the  meat  to 
cook.  They  waited  for  a  long  time. 

"  Surely,  it  is  done  now,"  said  Loki,  at 
last;  and  he  took  the  meat  from  the  fire. 
Strange  to  say,  however,  it  was  raw  as  ere 
the  fire  was  lighted.  What  could  it  mean  *? 
Never  before  had  meat  required  so  long  a 
time  to  roast.  They  made  the  fire  brighter 
and  re-hung  the  beef  for  a  thorough  basting, 
cooking  it  even  longer  than  they  had  done 
at  first.  When  again  they  came  to  carve  the 
meat,  they  found  it  still  uneatable.  Then,  in- 
deed, they  looked  at  one  another  in  surprise. 

"  What  can  this  mean  *?  "  cried  Loki,  with 
round  eyes. 


54          THE  MAGIC   APPLES 

"  There  is  some  trick  !  "  whispered  Hoenir, 
looking  around  as  if  he  expected  to  see  a 
fairy  or  a  witch  meddling  with  the  food. 

u  We  must  find  out  what  this  mystery  be- 
tokens," said  Odin  thoughtfully.  Just  then 
there  was  a  strange  sound  in  the  oak-tree 
under  which  they  had  built  their  fire. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  Loki  shouted,  springing 
to  his  feet.  They  looked  up  into  the  tree, 
and  far  above  in  the  branches,  near  the  top, 
they  spied  an  enormous  eagle,  who  was  staring 
down  at  them,  and  making  a  queer  sound, 
as  if  he  were  laughing. 

"  Ho-ho  !  "  croaked  the  eagle.  "  I  know 
why  your  meat  will  not  cook.  It  is  all  my 
doing,  masters." 

The  three  ^Esir  stared  in  surprise.  Then 
Odin  said  sternly :  "  Who  are  you,  Master 
Eagle?  And  what  do  you  mean  by  those 
rude  words  ?  " 

"  Give  me  my  share  of  the  ox,  and  you 
shall  see,"  rasped  the  eagle,  in  his  harsh  voice. 
"  Give  me  my  share,  and  you  will  find  that 
your  meat  will  cook  as  fast  as  you  please." 

Now  the  three  on  the  ground  were  nearly 
famished.  So,  although  it  seemed  very  strange 


THE   MAGIC   APPLES          55 

to  be  arguing  with  an  eagle,  they  cried,  as  if 
in  one  voice  :  "  Come  down,  then,  and  take 
your  share."  They  thought  that,  being  a 
mere  bird,  he  would  want  but  a  small  piece. 

The  eagle  flapped  down  from  the  top  of 
the  tree.  Dear  me  !  What  a  mighty  bird  he 
was !  Eight  feet  across  the  wings  was  the 
smallest  measure,  and  his  claws  were  as  long 
and  strong  as  ice-hooks.  He  fanned  the 
air  like  a  whirlwind  as  he  flew  down  to  perch 
beside  the  bonfire.  Then  in  his  beak  and 
claws  he  seized  a  leg  and  both  shoulders  of 
the  ox,  and  started  to  fly  away. 

"  Hold,  thief ! "  roared  Loki  angrily,  when 
he  saw  how  much  the  eagle  was  taking. 
"  That  is  not  your  share ;  you  are  no  lion,  but 
you  are  taking  the  lion's  share  of  our  feast. 
Begone,  Scarecrow,  and  leave  the  meat  as  you 
found  it !  "  Thereat,  seizing  a  pole,  he  struck 
at  the  eagle  with  all  his  might. 

Then  a  strange  thing  happened.  As  the 
great  bird  flapped  upward  with  his  prey, 
giving  a  scream  of  malicious  laughter,  the 
pole  which  Loki  still  held  stuck  fast  to  the 
eagle's  back,  and  Loki  was  unable  to  let  go 
of  the  other  end. 


56         THE  MAGIC  APPLES 

"  Help,  help  ! "  he  shouted  to  Odin  and  to 
Hcenir,  as  he  felt  himself  lifted  off  his  feet. 
But  they  could  not  help  him.  "  Help,  help  ! " 
he  screamed,  as  the  eagle  flew  with  him,  now 
high,  now  low,  through  brush  and  bog  and 
briar,  over  treetops  and  the  peaks  of  moun- 
tains. On  and  on  they  went,  until  Loki 
thought  his  arm  would  be  pulled  out,  like  a 
weed  torn  up  by  the  roots.  The  eagle  woulcj 
not  listen  to  his  cries  nor  pause  in  his  flight, 
until  Loki  was  almost  dead  with  pain  and 
fatigue. 

"  Hark  you,  Loki,"  screamed  the  eagle, 
going  a  little  more  slowly ;  "  no  one  can  help 
you  except  me.  You  are  bewitched,  and  you 
cannot  pull  away  from  this  pole,  nor  loose 
the  pole  from  me,  until  I  choose.  But  if  you 
will  promise  what  I  ask,  you  shall  go  free." 

Then  Loki  groaned  :  "  O  eagle,  only  let 
me  go,  and  tell  me  who  you  really  are,  and 
I  will  promise  whatever  you  wish." 

The  eagle  answered :  "  I  am  the  giant  Thi* 
asse,  the  enemy  of  the  ^Esir.  But  you  ought 
to  love  me,  Loki,  for  you  yourself  married 
a  giantess." 

Loki  moaned :    "  Oh,  yes !  I  dearly  love 


THE  MAGIC   APPLES          57 

all  my  wife's  family,  great  Thiasse.  Tell  me 
what  you  want  of  me  ?  " 

"  I  want  this,"  quoth  Thiasse  gruffly.  "  I 
am  growing  old,  and  I  want  the  apples  which 
Idun  keeps  in  her  golden  casket,  to  make  me 
young  again.  You  must  get  them  for  me." 

Now  these  apples  were  the  fruit  of  a  magic 
tree,  and  were  more  beautiful  to  look  at  and 
more  delicious  to  taste  than  any  fruit  that 
ever  grew.  The  best  thing  about  them  was 
that  whoever  tasted  one,  be  he  ever  so  old, 
grew  young  and  strong  again.  The  apples 
belonged  to  a  beautiful  lady  named  Idun, 
who  kept  them  in  a  golden  casket.  Every 
morning  the  ^Esir  came  to  her  to  be  refreshed 
and  made  over  by  a  bite  of  her  precious 
fruit.  That  is  why  in  Asgard  no  one  ever 
waxed  old  or  ugly.  Even  Father  Odin, 
Hcenir,  and  Loki,  the  three  travelers  who  had 
seen  the  very  beginning  of  everything,  when 
the  world  was  made,  were  still  sturdy  and 
young.  And  so  long  as  Idun  kept  her  apples 
safe,  the  faces  of  the  family  who  sat  about 
the  table  of  Valhalla  would  be  rosy  and  fair 
like  the  faces  of  children. 

"O  friend  giant ! "  cried  Loki.  "  You  know 


58          THE  MAGIC   APPLES 

not  what  you  ask !  The  apples  are  the  most 
precious  treasure  of  Asgard,  and  Idun  keeps 
watch  over  them  as  if  they  were  dearer  to 
her  than  life  itself.  I  never  could  steal  them 
from  her,  Thiasse  ;  for  at  her  call  all  Asgard 
would  rush  to  the  rescue,  and  trouble  would 
buzz  about  my  ears  like  a  hive  of  bees  let 
loose." 

"  Then  you  must  steal  Idun  herself,  apples 
and  all.  For  the  apples  I  must  have,  and  you 
have  promised,  Loki,  to  do  my  bidding." 

Loki  sniffed  and  thought,  thought  and 
sniffed  again.  Already  his  mischievous  heart 
was  planning  how  he  might  steal  Idun  away. 
He  could  hardly  help  laughing  to  think  how 
angry  the  JEsir  would  be  when  they  found 
their  beauty-medicine  gone  forever.  But  he 
hoped  that,  when  he  had  done  this  trick  for 
Thiasse,  now  and  then  the  giant  would  let 
him  have  a  nibble  of  the  magic  apples ;  so 
that  Loki  himself  would  remain  young  long 
after  the  other  JEsir  were  grown  old  and 
feeble.  This  thought  suited  Loki's  malicious 
nature  well. 

"  I  think  I  can  manage  it  for  you,  Thiasse," 
he  said  craftily.  "  In  a  week  I  promise  to 


THE  MAGIC   APPLES          59 

bring  Idun  and  her  apples  to  you.  But  you 
must  not  forget  the  great  risk  which  I  am 
running,  nor  that  I  am  your  relative  by  mar- 
riage. I  may  have  a  favor  to  ask  in  return, 
Thiasse." 

Then  the  eagle  gently  dropped  Loki  from 
his  claws.  Falling  on  a  soft  bed  of  moss, 
Loki  jumped  up  and  ran  back  to  his  travel- 
ing companions,  who  were  glad  and  surprised 
to  see  him  again.  They  had  feared  that  the 
eagle  was  carrying  him  away  to  feed  his 
young  eaglets  in  some  far-off  nest.  Ah,  you 
may  be  sure  that  Loki  did  not  tell  them  who 
the  eagle  really  was,  nor  confess  the  wicked 
promise  which  he  had  made  about  Idun  and 
her  apples. 

After  that  the  three  went  back  to  Asgard, 
for  they  had  had  adventure  enough  for  one 
day. 

The  days  flew  by,  and  the  time  came 
when  Loki  must  fulfill  his  promise  to  Thiasse. 
So  one  morning  he  strolled  out  into  the  mea- 
dow where  Idun  loved  to  roam  among  the 
flowers.  There  he  found  her,  sitting  by  a  tiny 
spring,  and  holding  her  precious  casket  of 
Apples  on  her  lap.  She  was  combing  her  long 


60          THE  MAGIC   APPLES 

golden  hair,  which  fell  from  under  a  wreath 
of  spring  flowers,  and  she  was  very  beautiful. 
Her  green  robe  was  embroidered  with  buds 
and  blossoms  of  silk  in  many  colors,  and  she 
wore  a  golden  girdle  about  her  waist.  She 
smiled  as  Loki  came,  and  tossed  him  a  posy, 
saying :  "  Good-morrow,  red  Loki.  Have 
you  come  for  a  bite  of  my  apples  ?  I  see  a 
wrinkle  over  each  of  your  eyes  which  I  can 
smooth  away." 

"  Nay,  fair  lady,"  answered  Loki  politely, 
"  I  have  just  nibbled  of  another  apple,  which 
I  found  this  morning.  Verily,  I  think  it  is 
sweeter  and  more  magical  than  yours." 

Idun  was  hurt  and  surprised. 

"  That  cannot  be,  Loki,"  she  cried.  "  There 
are  no  apples  anywhere  like  mine.  Where 
found  you  this  fine  fruit  ?  "  and  she  wrinkled 
up  her  little  nose  scornfully. 

"  Oho  !  I  will  not  tell  any  one  the  place," 
chuckled  Loki,  "except  that  it  is  not  far,  in 
a  little  wood.  There  is  a  gnarled  old  apple- 
tree,  and  on  its  branches  grow  the  most  beau- 
tiful red-cheeked  apples  you  ever  saw.  But 
you  could  never  find  it." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  these  apples,  Loki, 


THE  MAGIC   APPLES          61 

if  only  to  prove  how  far  less  good  they  are 
than  mine.  Will  you  bring  me  some  ?  " 

"  That  I  will  not,"  said  Loki  teasingly. 
"  Oh,  no !  I  have  my  own  magic  apples  now, 
and  folk  will  be  coming  to  me  for  help  in- 
stead of  to  you." 

Idun  began  to  coax  him,  as  he  had  guessed 
that  she  would :  "  Please,  please,  Loki,  show 
me  the  place  !  " 

At  first  he  would  not,  for  he  was  a  sly  fel- 
low, and  knew  how  to  lead  her  on.  At  last, 
he  pretended  to  yield. 

"  Well,  then,  because  I  love  you,  Idun, 
better  than  all  the  rest,  I  will  show  you  the 
place,  if  you  will  come  with  me.  But  it  must 
be  a  secret  —  no  one  must  ever  know." 

All  girls  like  secrets. 

"  Yes  —  yes  !  "  cried  Idun  eagerly.  "  Let 
us  steal  away  now,  while  no  one  is  looking." 

This  was  just  what  Loki  hoped  for. 

"  Bring  your  own  apples,"  he  said,  "  that 
we  may  compare  them  with  mine.  But  I 
know  mine  are  better." 

"  I  know  mine  are  the  best  in  all  the 
world,"  returned  Idun,  pouting.  "  I  will 
bring  them,  to  show  you  the  difference." 


62          THE  MAGIC  APPLES 

Off  they  started  together,  she  with  the 
golden  casket  under  her  arm ;  and  Loki 
chuckled  wickedly  as  they  went.  He  led  her 
for  some  distance,  further  than  she  had  ever 
strayed  before,  and  at  last  she  grew  fright- 
ened. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me,  Loki  ?  "  she 
cried.  "You  said  it  was  not  far.  I  see  no 
little  wood,  no  old  apple-tree." 

"  It  is  just  beyond,  just  a  little  step  be- 
yond," he  answered.  So  on  they  went.  But 
that  little  step  took  them  beyond  the  bound- 
ary of  Asgard — just  a  little  step  beyond, 
into  the  space  where  the  giants  lurked  and 
waited  for  mischief. 

Then  there  was  a  rustling  of  wings,  and 
whirr-rr-rr  !  Down  came  Thiasse  in  his  eagle 
dress.  Before  Idun  suspected  what  was  hap- 
pening, he  fastened  his  claws  into  her  girdle 
and  flapped  away  with  her,  magic  apples 
and  all,  to  his  palace  in  Jotunheim,  the  Land 
of  Giants. 

Loki  stole  back  to  Asgard,  thinking  that 
he  was  quite  safe,  and  that  no  one  would 
discover  his  villainy.  At  first  Idun  was  not 
missed.  But  after  a  little  the  gods  began  to 


HE  FLAPPED  AWAY  WITH  HER,  MAGIC 
APPLES  AND  ALL 


THE  MAGIC  APPLES         63 

feel  signs  of  age,  and  went  for  their  usual 
bite  of  her  apples.  Then  they  found  that 
she  had  disappeared,  and  a  great  terror  fell 
upon  them.  Where  had  she  gone  ?  Sup- 
pose she  should  not  come  back  ! 

The  hours  and  days  went  by,  and  still 
she  did  not  return.  Their  fright  became  al- 
most a  panic.  Their  hair  began  to  turn  gray, 
and  their  limbs  grew  stiff  and  gouty  so  that 
they  hobbled  down  Asgard  streets.  Even 
Freia,  the  loveliest,  was  afraid  to  look  in  her 
mirror,  and  Balder  the  beautiful  grew  pale 
and  haggard.  The  happy  land  of  Asgard  was 
like  a  garden  over  which  a  burning  wind  had 
blown,  —  all  the  flower-faces  were  faded  and 
withered,  and  springtime  was  turned  into  yel- 
low fall. 

If  Idun  and  her  apples  were  not  quickly 
found,  the  gods  seemed  likely  to  shrivel  and 
blow  away  like  autumn  leaves.  They  held 
a  council  to  inquire  into  the  matter,  endea- 
voring to  learn  who  had  seen  Idun  last,  and 
whither  she  had  gone.  It  turned  out  that 
one  morning  Heimdal  had  seen  her  strolling 
out  of  Asgard  with  Loki,  and  no  one  had 
seen  her  since.  Then  the  gods  understood ; 


64          THE  MAGIC   APPLES 

Loki  was  the  last  person  who  had  been  with 
her  —  this  must  be  one  of  Loki's  tricks. 
They  were  filled  with  anger.  They  seized 
and  bound  Loki  and  brought  him  before  the 
council.  They  threatened  him  with  torture 
and  with  death  unless  he  should  tell  the 
truth.  And  Loki  was  so  frightened  that 
finally  he  confessed  what  he  had  done. 

Then  indeed  there  was  horror  in  Asgard. 
Idun  stolen  away  by  a  wicked  giant !  Idun 
and  her  apples  lost,  and  Asgard  growing 
older  every  minute  !  What  was  to  be  done  *? 
Big  Thor  seized  Loki  and  threw  him  up  in 
the  air  again  and  again,  so  that  his  heels 
touched  first  the  moon  and  then  the  sea; 
you  can  still  see  the  marks  upon  the  moon's 
white  face.  "  If  you  do  not  bring  Idun  back 
from  the  land  of  your  wicked  wife,  you  shall 
have  worse  than  this  ! "  he  roared.  "  Go  and 
bring  her  now'' 

"  How  can  I  do  that  ?  "  asked  Loki,  trenv 
bling. 

"  That  is  for  you  to  find,"  growled  Thor- 
*'  Bring  her  you  must.  Go  ! " 

Loki  thought  for  a  moment.  Then  ht 
said :  — 


THE   MAGIC  APPLES          65 

"  I  will  bring  her  back  if  Freia  will  loan 
me  her  falcon  dress.  The  giant  dresses  as 
an  eagle.  I,  too,  must  guise  me  as  a  bird, 
or  we  cannot  outwit  him." 

Then  Freia  hemmed  and  hawed.  She  did 
not  wish  to  loan  her  feather  dress,  for  it  was 
very  precious.  But  all  the  ^Esir  begged ;  and 
finally  she  consented. 

It  was  a  beautiful  great  dress  of  brown 
feathers  and  gray,  and  in  it  Freia  loved  to 
skim  like  a  falcon  among  the  clouds  and 
stars.  Loki  put  it  on,  and  when  he  had  done 
so  he  looked  exactly  like  a  great  brown 
hawk.  Only  his  bright  black  eyes  remained 
the  same,  glancing  here  and  there,  so  that 
they  lost  sight  of  nothing. 

With  a  whirr  of  his  wings  Loki  flew  off 
to  the  north,  across  mountains  and  valleys 
and  the  great  river  I  ring,  which  lay  between 
Asgard  and  Giant  Land.  And  at  last  he 
came  to  the  palace  of  Thiasse  the  giant. 

It  happened,  fortunately,  that  Thiasse  had 
gone  fishing  in  the  sea,  and  Idun  was  left 
alone,  weeping  and  broken-hearted.  Pre- 
sently she  heard  a  little  tap  on  her  window, 
and,  looking  up,  she  saw  a  great  brown  bird 


66          THE  MAGIC  APPLES 

perching  on  the  ledge.  He  was  so  big  that 
Idun  was  frightened  and  gave  a  scream.  But 
the  bird  nodded  pleasantly  and  croaked: 
"Don't  be  afraid,  Idun.  I  am  a  friend.  I 
am  Loki,  come  to  set  you  free." 

"  Loki !  Loki  is  no  friend  of  mine.  He 
brought  me  here,"  she  sobbed.  "  I  don't  be- 
lieve you  came  to  save  me." 

"  That  is  indeed  why  I  am  here,"  he  re- 
plied, "  and  a  dangerous  business  it  is,  if 
Thiasse  should  come  back  before  we  start 
for  home." 

*'  How  will  you  get  me  out  ?  "  asked  Idun 
doubtfully.  "The  door  is  locked,  and  the 
window  is  barred." 

"  I  will  change  you  into  a  nut,"  said  he, 
"  and  carry  you  in  my  claws." 

"  What  of  the  casket  of  apples  ?  "  queried 
Idun.  "  Can  you  carry  that  also  ?  " 

Then  Loki  laughed  long  and  loudly. 

"What  welcome  to  Asgard  do  you  think 
I  should  receive  without  the  apples  *?  "  he 
cried.  "  Yes,  we  must  take  them,  indeed." 

Idun  came  to  the  window,  and  Loki,  who 
was  a  skillful  magician,  turned  her  into  a  nut 
and  took  her  in  one  claw,  while  in  the  other 


THE  MAGIC   APPLES          67 

he  seized  the  casket  of  apples.  Then  off  he 
whirred  out  of  the  palace  grounds  and  away 
toward  Asgard's  safety. 

In  a  little  while  Thiasse  returned  home, 
and  when  he  found  Idun  and  her  apples  gone, 
there  was  a  hubbub,  you  may  be  sure  !  How- 
ever, he  lost  little  time  by  smashing  moun- 
tains and  breaking  trees  in  his  giant  rage; 
that  fit  was  soon  over.  He  put  on  his  eagle 
plumage  and  started  in  pursuit  of  the  falcon. 

Now  an  eagle  is  bigger  and  stronger  than 
any  other  bird,  and  usually  in  a  long  race  he 
can  beat  even  the  swift  hawk  who  has  an 
hour's  start.  Presently  Loki  heard  behind 
him  the  shrill  scream  of  a  giant  eagle,  and 
his  heart  turned  sick.  But  he  had  crossed 
the  great  river,  and  already  was  in  sight  of 
Asgard.  The  aged  ^Esir  were  gathered  on 
the  rainbow  bridge  watching  eagerly  for 
Loki's  return ;  and  when  they  spied  the  fal- 
con with  the  nut  and  the  casket  in  his  talons, 
they  knew  who  it  was.  A  great  cheer  went 
up,  but  it  was  hushed  in  a  moment,  for  they 
saw  the  eagle  close  after  the  falcon ;  and  they 
guessed  that  this  must  be  the  giant  Thiasse, 
the  stealer  of  Idun. 


68          THE  MAGIC  APPLES 

Then  there  was  a  great  shouting  of  com- 
mands, and  a  rushing  to  and  fro.  All  the 
gods,  even  Father  Odin  and  his  two  wise 
ravens,  were  busy  gathering  chips  into  great 
heaps  on  the  walls  of  Asgard.  As  soon  as 
Loki,  with  his  precious  burden,  had  fluttered 
weakly  over  the  wall,  dropping  to  the  ground 
beyond,  the  gods  lighted  the  heaps  of  chips 
which  they  had  piled,  and  soon  there  was  a 
wall  of  fire,  over  which  the  eagle  must  fly. 
He  was  going  too  fast  to  stop.  The  flames 
roared  and  crackled,  but  Thiasse  flew  straight 
into  them,  with  a  scream  of  fear  and  rage. 
His  feathers  caught  fire  and  burned,  so  that 
he  could  no  longer  fly,  but  fell  headlong  to 
the  ground  inside  the  walls.  Then  Thor,  the 
thunder-lord,  and  Tyr,  the  mighty  war-king, 
fell  upon  him  and  slew  him,  so  that  he  could 
never  trouble  the  JEsir  any  more. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  Asgard  that 
night,  for  Loki  changed  Idun  again  to  a  fair 
lady;  whereupon  she  gave  each  of  the  eager 
gods  a  bite  of  her  life-giving  fruit,  so  that 
they  grew  young  and  happy  once  more,  as  if 
all  these  horrors  had  never  happened. 

Not  one  of  them,  however,  forgot  the  evil 


THE   MAGIC   APPLES          69 

part  which  Loki  had  played  in  these  doings. 
They  hid  the  memory,  like  a  buried  seed, 
deep  in  their  hearts.  Thenceforward  the  word 
of  Loki  and  the  honor  of  his  name  were 
poor  coin  in  Asgard ;  which  is  no  wonder. 


SKADI'S  CHOICE    *   *   * 

THE  giant  Thiasse,  whom  Thor  slew 
for  the  theft  of  Idun  and  the  magic 
apples,  had  a  daughter,  Skadi,  who 
was  a  very  good  sort  of  girl,  as  giantesses  go. 
Most  of  them  were  evil-tempered,  spiteful, 
and  cruel  creatures,  who  desired  only  to  do 
harm  to  the  gods  and  to  all  who  were  good. 
But  Skadi  was  different.  Stronger  than  the 
hatred  of  her  race  for  the  JEsir,  stronger  even 
than  her  wish  to  be  revenged  for  her  father's- 
death,  was  her  love  for  Balder  the  beautiful, 
the  pride  of  all  the  gods.  If  she  had  not 
been  a  giantess,  she  might  have  hoped  that 
he  would  love  her  also ;  but  she  knew  that 
no  one  who  lived  in  Asgard  would  ever  think 
kindly  of  her  race,  which  had  caused  so  much 
trouble  to  Balder  and  his  brothers.  After 
her  father  was  killed  by  the  ^Esir,  however, 
Skadi  had  a  wise  idea. 

Skadi  put  on  her  helm  and  corselet  and 
set  out  for  Asgard,  meaning  to  ask  a  noble 
price  to  pay  for  the  sorrow  of  Thiasse's 
death.  The  gods,  who  had  all  grown  young 
and  boyish  once  again,  were  sitting  in  Val- 


SKADI'S  CHOICE  71 

halla  merrily  enjoying  a  banquet  in  honor  of 
Idun's  safe  return,  when  Skadi,  clattering  with 
steel,  strode  into  their  midst.  Heimdal  the 
watchman,  astonished  at  the  sight,  had  let 
this  maiden  warrior  pass  him  upon  the  rain- 
bow bridge.  The  ^Esir  set  down  their  cups 
hastily,  and  the  laughter  died  upon  their  lips ; 
for  though  she  looked  handsome,  Skadi  was 
a  terrible  figure  in  her  silver  armor  and  with 
her  spear  as  long  as  a  ship's  mast  brandished 
in  her  giant  hand. 

The  nine  Valkyries,  Odin's  maiden  war- 
riors, hurried  away  to  put  on  their  own  hel- 
mets and  shields ;  for  they  would  not  have 
this  other  maiden,  ten  times  as  huge,  see 
them  meekly  waiting  at  table,  while  they 
had  battle-dresses  as  fine  as  hers  to  show  the 
stranger. 

"Who  are  you,  maiden,  and  what  seek 
you  here  ?  "  asked  Father  Odin. 

"I  am  Skadi,  the  daughter  of  Thiasse, 
whom  your  folk  have  slain,"  answered  she, 
"and  I  come  here  for  redress." 

At  these  words  the  coward  Loki,  who 
had  been  at  the  killing  of  Thiasse,  skulked 
low  behind  the  table;  but  Thor,  who  had 


72  SKADI'S   CHOICE 

done  the  killing,  straightened  himself  and 
clenched  his  fists  tightly.  He  was  not  afraid 
of  any  giant,  however  fierce,  and  this  maiden 
with  her  shield  and  spear  only  angered  him. 
"Well,  Skadi,"  quoth  Odin  gravely,  "your 
father  was  a  thief,  and  died  for  his  sins.  He 
stole  fair  Idun  and  her  magic  apples,  and 
for  that  crime  he  died,  which  was  only  just. 
Yet  because  our  righteous  deed  has  left 
you  an  orphan,  Skadi,  we  will  grant  you  a 
recompense,  so  you  shall  be  at  peace  with 
us ;  for  it  is  not  fitting  that  the  JEsir  should 
quarrel  with  women.  What  is  it  you  ask, 

0  Skadi,  as  solace  for  the  death  of  Thi- 
asse  ?  " 

Skadi  looked  like  an  orphan  who  was 
well  able  to  take  care  of  herself;  and  this 
indeed  her  next  words  showed  her  to  be. 
"  I  ask  two  things,"  she  said,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation:  "I  ask  the  husband  whom 

1  shall  select  from  among  you ;  and  I  ask 
that   you  shall  make  me  laugh,  for   it   is 
many  days  since  grief  has  let  me  enjoy  a 
smile." 

At  this  strange  request  the  ^Estr  looked 
astonished,  and  some  of  them  seemed  rather 


SKADI'S   CHOICE  73 

startled ;  for  you  can  fancy  that  none  of 
them  wanted  a  giantess,  however  handsome, 
for  his  wife.  They  put  their  heads  together 
and  consulted  long  whether  or  not  they 
should  allow  Skadi  her  two  wishes. 

"  I  will  agree  to  make  her  laugh,"  grinned 
Loki;  "but  suppose  she  should  choose  me 
for  her  husband !  I  am  married  to  one  giant- 
ess already." 

"  No  fear  of  that,  Loki,"  said  Thor ;  "  you 
were  too  near  being  the  cause  of  her  father's 
death  for  her  to  love  you  overmuch.  Nor 
do  I  think  that  she  will  choose  me ;  so  I  am 
safe." 

Loki  chuckled  and  stole  away  to  think 
up  a  means  of  making  Skadi  laugh. 

Finally,  the  gods  agreed  that  Skadi  should 
choose  one  of  them  for  her  husband ;  but 
in  order  that  all  might  have  a  fair  chance 
of  missing  this  honor  which  no  one  coveted, 
she  was  to  choose  in  a  curious  way.  All 
the  ^Esir  were  to  stand  in  a  row  behind  the 
curtain  which  was  drawn  across  the  end  of 
the  hall,  so  that  only  their  feet  were  seen  by 
Skadi ;  and  by  their  feet  alone  Skadi  was  to 
select  him  who  was  to  be  her  husband. 


74  SKADI'S  CHOICE 

Now  Skadi  was  very  ready  to  agree  to 
this,  for  she  said  to  herself,  "  Surely,  I  shall 
know  the  feet  of  Balder,  for  they  will  be  the 
most  beautiful  of  any." 

Amid  nervous  laughter  at  this  new  game, 
the  ^Esir  ranged  themselves  in  a  row  behind 
the  purple  curtain,  with  only  their  line  of 
feet  showing  below  the  golden  border.  There 
were  Father  Odin,  Thor  the  Thunderer,  and 
Balder  his  brother ;  there  was  old  Niord  the 
rich,  with  his  fair  son  Frey ;  there  were  Tyr 
the  bold,  Bragi  the  poet,  blind  Hod,  and 
Vidar  the  silent;  Vali  and  Ull  the  archers, 
Forseti  the  wise  judge,  and  Heimdal  the  gold- 
toothed  watchman.  Loki  alone,  of  all  the 
^Esir,  was  not  there ;  and  Loki  was  the  only 
one  who  did  not  shiver  as  Skadi  walked  up 
and  down  the  hall  looking  at  the  row  of 
feet. 

Up  and  down,  back  and  forth,  went  Skadi, 
looking  carefully ;  and  among  all  those  san- 
daled feet  there  was  one  pair  more  white 
and  fair  and  beautiful  than  the  rest. 

"Surely,  these  are  Balder's  feet!"  she 
thought,  while  her  heart  thumped  with 
eagerness  under  her  silver  corselet.  "Oh, 


SKADI'S   CHOICE  75 

if  I  guess  aright,  dear  Balder  will  be  my 
husband ! " 

She  paused  confidently  before  the  hand- 
somest pair  of  feet,  and,  pointing  to  them 
with  her  spear,  she  cried,  "I  choose  here! 
Few  blemishes  are  to  be  found  in  Balder  the 
beautiful." 

A  shout  of  laughter  arose  behind  the  cur- 
tain, and  forth  slunk  —  not  young  Balder, 
but  old  Niord  the  rich,  king  of  the  ocean 
wind,  the  father  of  those  fair  twins,  Frey  and 
Freia.  Skadi  had  chosen  the  handsome  feet 
of  old  Niord,  and  thenceforth  he  must  be  her 
husband. 

Niord  was  little  pleased ;  but  Skadi  was 
heart-broken.  Her  face  grew  longer  and  sad- 
der than  before  when  he  stepped  up  and 
took  her  hand  sulkily,  saying,  "  Well,  I  am 
to  be  your  husband,  then,  and  all  my  riches 
stored  in  Noatun,  the  home  of  ships,  are  to 
be  yours.  You  would  have  chosen  Balder, 
and  I  wish  that  this  luck  had  been  his! 
However,  it  cannot  be  helped  now." 

"Nay,"  answered  Skadi,  frowning,  "the 
bargain  is  not  yet  complete.  No  one  of  you 
has  made  me  laugh.  I  am  so  sad  now,  that 


76  SKADI'S  CHOICE 

it  will  be  a  merry  jest  indeed  which  can  wring 
laughter  from  my  heavy  heart."  She  sighed, 
looking  at  Balder.  But  Balder  loved  only 
Nanna  in  all  the  world. 

Just  then,  out  came  Loki,  riding  on  one 
of  Thor's  goat  steeds ;  and  the  red-bearded 
fellow  cut  up  such  ridiculous  capers  with 
the  gray-bearded  goat  that  soon  not  only 
Skadi,  but  all  the  ^Esir  and  Niord  himself 
were  holding  their  sides  with  laughter. 

"  Fairly  won,  fairly  won ! "  cried  Skadi, 
wiping  the  tears  from  her  eyes.  "  I  am 
beaten.  I  shall  not  forget  that  it  is  Loki  to 
whom  I  owe  this  last  joke.  Some  day  I  shall 
be  quits  with  you,  red  joker ! "  And  this 
threat  she  carried  out  in  the  end,  on  the  day 
of  Loki's  punishment. 

Skadi  was  married  to  old  Niord,  both  un- 
willing; and  they  went  to  live  among  the 
mountains  in  Skadi's  home,  which  had  once 
been  Thiasse's  palace,  where  he  had  shut 
Idun  in  a  prison  cell.  As  you  can  imagine, 
Niord  and  Skadi  did  not  live  happily  ever 
after,  like  the  good  prince  and  princess  in 
the  story-book.  For,  in  the  first  place,  Skadi 
was  a  giantess ;  and  there  are  few  folk,  I 


SKADI'S   CHOICE  77 

fency,  who  could  live  happily  with  a  giantess. 
In  the  second  place,  she  did  not  love  Niord, 
nor  did  he  love  Skadi,  and  neither  forgot 
that  Skadi's  choosing  had  been  sorrow  to 
them  both.  But  the  third  reason  was  the 
most  important  of  all ;  and  this  was  because 
Skadi  and  Niord  could  not  agree  upon  the 
place  which  should  be  their  home.  For 
Niord  did  not  like  the  mountain  palace  of 
Skadi's  people,  —  the  place  where  roaring 
winds  rushed  down  upon  the  sea  and  its 
ships.  The  sea  with  its  ships  was  his  friend, 
and  he  wanted  to  dwell  in  Noatun,  where 
he  had  greater  wealth  than  any  one  else  in 
the  world,  —  where  he  could  rule  the  fresh 
sea- wind  and  tame  the  wild  ocean,  granting 
the  prayers  of  fisher-folk  and  the  seafarers, 
who  loved  his  name. 

Finally,  they  agreed  to  dwell  first  in  one 
place,  then  in  the  other,  so  that  each  might 
be  happy  in  turn.  For  nine  days  they  tar- 
ried in  Thrymheim,  and  then  they  spent 
three  in  Noatun.  But  even  this  arrange- 
ment could  not  bring  peace.  One  day  they 
had  a  terrible  quarrel.  It  was  just  after  they 
had  come  down  from  Skadi's  mountain  home 


78  SKADI'S  CHOICE 

for  their  three  days  in  Niord's  sea  palace,  and 
he  was  so  glad  to  be  back  that  he  cried,  — 

"  Ah,  how  I  hate  your  hills !  How  long 
the  nine  nights  seemed,  with  the  wolves  howl- 
ing until  dawn  among  the  dark  mountains 
of  Giant  Land  !  What  a  discord  compared 
to  the  songs  of  the  swans  who  sail  upon  my 
dear,  dear  ocean  ! "  Thus  rudely  he  taunted 
his  wife ;  but  Skadi  answered  him  with  spirit. 

"  And  I  —  I  cannot  sleep  by  your  rolling 
sea-waves,  where  the  birds  are  ever  calling, 
calling,  as  they  come  from  the  woods  on  the 
shore.  Each  morning  the  sea-gull's  scream 
wakes  me  at  some  unseemly  hour.  I  will 
not  stay  here  even  for  three  nights  !  I  will 
not  stay ! " 

"  And  I  will  have  no  more  of  your  windy 
mountain-tops,"  roared  Niord,  beside  him- 
self with  rage.  "  Go.  if  you  wish !  Go  back 
to  Thrymheim !  I  shall  not  follow  you,  be 


sure ! " 


So  Skadi  went  back  to  her  mountains 
alone,  and  dwelt  in  the  empty  house  of 
Thiasse,  her  father.  She  became  a  mighty 
huntress,  swift  on  the  skees  and  ice-runners 
which  she  strapped  to  her  feet.  Day  after 


SKADI'S   CHOICE  79 

day  she  skimmed  over  the  snow-crusted 
mountains,  bow  in  hand,  to  hunt  the  wild 
beasts  which  roamed  there.  "  Skee-goddess," 
she  was  called ;  and  never  again  did  she 
come  to  Asgard  halls.  Quite  alone  in  the 
cold  country,  she  hunted  hardily,  keeping 
ever  in  her  heart  the  image  of  Balder  the 
beautiful,  whom  she  loved,  but  whom  she 
had  lost  forever  by  her  unlucky  choice. 


THE  DWARF'S  GIFTS 


K^D  Loki  had  been  up  to  mischief 
again  !  Loki,  who  made  quarrels  and 
brought  trouble  wherever  he  went. 
He  had  a  wicked  heart,  and  he  loved  no  one. 
He  envied  Father  Odin  his  wisdom  and  his 
throne  above  the  world.  He  envied  Balder 
his  beauty,  and  Tyr  his  courage,  and  Thor 
his  strength.  He  envied  all  the  good  ^Esir 
who  were  happy;  but  he  would  not  take 
the  trouble  to  be  good  himself.  So  he  was 
always  unhappy,  spiteful,  and  sour.  And  if 
anything  went  wrong  in  Asgard,  the  king- 
dom of  the  gods,  one  was  almost  sure  to  find 
Loki  at  the  bottom  of  the  trouble. 

Now  Thor,  the  strongest  of  all  the  gods, 
was  very  proud  of  his  wife's  beautiful  hair, 
which  fell  in  golden  waves  to  her  feet,  and 
covered  her  like  a  veil.  He  loved  it  better 
than  anything,  except  Sif  herself.  One  day, 
while  Thor  was  away  from  home,  Loki  stole 
into  Thrudheim,  the  realm  of  clouds,  and 
cut  off  all  Sif  Js  golden  hair,  till  her  head 
was  as  round  and  fuzzy  as  a  yellow  dande- 
lion. Fancy  how  angry  Thor  was  when  he 


THE  DWARFS  GIFTS         81 

came  rattling  home  that  night  in  his  thun- 
der-chariot and  found  Sif  so  ugly  to  look 
at!  He  stamped  up  and  down  till  the  five 
hundred  and  forty  floors  of  his  cloud  pal- 
ace shook  like  an  earthquake,  and  lightning 
flashed  from  his  blue  eyes.  The  people  down 
in  the  world  below  cried :  "  Dear,  dear !  What 
a  terrible  thunderstorm  !  Thor  must  be  very 
angry  about  something.  Loki  has  been  up 
to  mischief,  it  is  likely."  You  see,  they  also 
knew  Loki  and  his  tricks. 

At  last  Thor  calmed  himself  a  little.  "  Sif, 
my  love,"  he  said,  "you  shall  be  beautiful 
again.  Red  Loki  shall  make  you  so,  since  his 
was  the  unmaking.  The  villain!  He  shall 
pay  for  this ! " 

Then,  without  more  ado,  off  set  Thor  to 
find  red  Loki.  He  went  in  his  thunder- 
chariot,  drawn  by  two  goats,  and  the  clouds 
rumbled  and  the  lightning  flashed  wherever 
he  went ;  for  Thor  was  the  mighty  god  of 
thunder.  At  last  he  came  upon  the  sly 
rascal,  who  was  trying  to  hide.  Big  Thor 
seized  him  by  the  throat. 

"  You  scoundrel ! "  he  cried,  "  I  will  break 
every  bone  in  your  body  if  you  do  not  put 
back  Sif 's  beautiful  hair  upon  her  head." 


82         THE  DWARFS   GIFTS 

«  Ow  —  ow !  You  hurt  me ! "  howled 
Loki.  "Take  off  your  big  hand,  Thor. 
What  is  done,  is  done.  I  cannot  put  back 
Sif  's  hair.  You  know  that  very  well." 

"  Then  you  must  get  her  another  head  of 
hair,"  growled  Thor.  "  That  you  can  do. 
You  must  find  for  her  hair  of  real  gold,  and 
it  must  grow  upon  her  head  as  if  it  were 
her  own.  Do  this,  or  you  shall  die." 

"Where  shall  I  get  this  famous  hair?7' 
whined  Loki,  though  he  knew  well  enough. 

"  Get  it  of  the  black  elves,"  said  Thor ; 
"they  are  cunning  jewelers,  and  they  are 
your  friends.  Go,  Loki,  and  go  quickly,  for 
I  long  to  see  Sif  as  beautiful  as  ever." 

Then  Loki  of  the  burning  beard  slunk 
away  to  the  hills  where,  far  under  ground,  the 
dwarfs  have  their  furnaces  and  their  work- 
shops. Among  great  heaps  of  gold  and  silver 
and  shining  jewels,  which  they  have  dug  up 
out  of  the  earth,  the  little  crooked  men  in 
brown  blink  and  chatter  and  scold  one  an- 
other; for  they  are  ugly  fellows  —  the  dwarfs. 
fink-tank!  tink-tankl  go  their  little  hammers 
all  day  long  and  all  night  long,  while  they 
make  wonderful  things  such  as  no  man 


THE  DWARF'S   GIFTS         83 

has  ever  seen,  though  you  shall  hear  about 
them. 

They  had  no  trouble  to  make  a  head  of 
hair  for  Sif.  It  was  for  them  a  simple  matter, 
indeed.  The  dwarfs  work  fast  for  such  a  cus- 
tomer as  Loki,  and  in  a  little  while  the 
golden  wires  were  beaten  out,  and  drawn  out, 
made  smooth  and  soft  and  curly,  and  braided 
into  a  thick  golden  braid.  But  when  Loki 
came  away,  he  carried  with  him  also  two 
other  treasures  which  the  clever  dwarfs  had 
made.  One  was  a  golden  spear,  and  the  other 
was  a  ship. 

Now  these  do  not  sound  so  very  wonder- 
ful. But  wait  until  you  hear!  The  spear, 
which  was  named  Gungnir,  was  bewitched,  so 
that  it  made  no  difference  if  the  person  who 
held  it  was  clumsy  and  careless.  For  it  had 
this  amazing  quality,  that  no  matter  how 
badly  it  was  aimed,  or  how  unskillfully  it  was 
thrown,  it  was  sure  to  go  straight  to  the  mark 
—  which  is  a  very  obliging  and  convenient 
thing  in  one's  weapon,  as  you  will  readily 
see. 

And  Skidbladnir  —  this  was  the  harsh 
name  of  the  ship  —  was  even  more  won- 


84         THE  DWARFS  GIFTS 

derful.  It  could  be  taken  to  pieces  and 
folded  up  so  small  that  it  would  go  into  one's 
pocket.  But  when  it  was  unfolded  and  put 
together,  it  would  hold  all  the  gods  of  Asgard 
for  a  sea-journey.  Besides  all  this,  when  the 
sails  were  set,  the  ship  was  sure  always  to  have 
a  fair  wind,  which  would  make  it  skim  along 
like  a  great  bird,  which  was  the  best  part  of 
the  charm,  as  any  sailor  will  tell  you. 

Now  Loki  felt  very  proud  of  these  three 
treasures,  and  left  the  hill  cave  stretching  his 
neck  and  strutting  like  a  great  red  turkey 
cock.  Outside  the  gate,  however,  he  met 
Brock,  the  black  dwarf,  who  was  the  brother 
of  Sindri,  the  best  workman  in  all  the  under- 
world. 

"  Hello !  what  have  you  there  ?  "  asked 
Brock  of  the  big  head,  pointing  at  the  bun- 
dles which  Loki  was  carrying. 

"The  three  finest  gifts  in  the  world," 
boasted  Loki,  hugging  his  treasures  tight. 

"Pooh!"  said  Brock,  "I  don't  believe  it. 
Did  my  brother  Sindri  make  them?" 

"  No,"  answered  Loki ;  "  they  were  made 
by  the  black  elves,  the  sons  of  Ivaldi.  And 
they  are  the  most  precious  gifts  that  ever  were 


THE  DWARFS  GIFTS         85 

"  Pooh ! "  again  puffed  Brock,  wagging 
his  long  beard  crossly.  "  Nonsense  !  What- 
ever they  be,  my  brother  Sindri  can  make 
three  other  gifts  more  precious ;  that  I  know." 

"  Can  he,  though  ?  "  laughed  Loki.  "  I 
will  give  him  my  head  if  he  can." 

"  Done  ! "  shouted  the  dwarf.  "  Let  me  see 
your  famous  gifts."  So  Loki  showed  him  the 
three  wonders :  the  gold  hair  for  Sif,  the  spear, 
and  the  ship.  But  again  the  dwarf  said: 
"  Pooh  !  These  are  nothing.  I  will  show  you 
what  the  master-smith  can  do,  and  you  shall 
lose  your  bragging  red  head,  my  Loki." 

Now  Loki  began  to  be  a  little  uneasy. 
He  followed  Brock  back  to  the  smithy  in 
the  mountain,  where  they  found  Sindri  at  his 
forge.  Oh,  yes!  He  could  beat  the  poor 
gifts  of  which  Loki  was  so  proud.  But  he 
would  not  tell  what  his  own  three  gifts  were 
to  be. 

First  Sindri  took  a  pig's  skin  and  laid  it 
on  the  fire.  Then  he  went  away  for  a  little 
time;  but  he  set  Brock  at  the  bellows  and 
bade  him  blow  —  blow  —  blow  the  fire 
until  Sindri  should  return.  Now  when  Sin- 
dri was  gone,  Loki  also  stole  away;  for,  as 


86          THE   DWARFS   GIFTS 

usual,  he  was  up  to  mischief.  He  had  the 
power  of  changing  his  shape  and  of  becom- 
ing any  creature  he  chose,  which  was  often 
very  convenient.  Thus  he  turned  himself 
into  a  huge  biting  fly.  Then  he  flew  back 
into  the  smithy  where  Brock  was  blow  — 
blow —  blowing.  Loki  buzzed  about  the 
dwarf's  head,  and  finally  lighted  on  his  hand 
and  stung  him,  hoping  to  make  him  let  go 
the  bellows.  But  no !  Brock  only  cried  out, 
"  Oh-ee  ! "  and  kept  on  blowing  for  dear  life. 
Now  soon  back  came  Sindri  to  the  forge  and 
took  the  pigskin  from  the  fire.  Wonder  of 
wonders!  It  had  turned  into  a  hog  with 
golden  bristles;  a  live  hog  that  shone  like 
the  sun.  Brock  was  not  satisfied,  however. 

"  Well !  I  don't  think  much  of  that,"  he 
grumbled. 

"  Wait  a  little,"  said  Sindri  mysteriously. 
"Wait  and  see."  Then  he  went  on  to  make 
the  second  gift. 

This  time  he  put  a  lump  of  gold  into  the 
fire.  And  when  he  went  away,  as  before,  he 
bade  Brock  stand  at  the  bellows  to  blow  — 
blow  —  blow  without  stopping.  Again,  as 
before,  in  buzzed  Loki  the  gadfly  as  soon 


THE   DWARFS   GIFTS         57 

as  the  master-smith  had  gone  out.  This  time 
he  settled  on  Brock's  swarthy  neck,  and  stung 
him  so  sorely  that  the  blood  came  and  the 
dwarf  roared  till  the  mountain  trembled. 
Still  Brock  did  not  let  go  the  handle  of  the 
bellows,  but  blew  and  howled  —  blew  and 
howled  with  pain  till  Sindri  returned.  And 
this  time  the  dwarf  took  from  the  fire  a  fine 
gold  ring,  round  as  roundness. 

"  Um !  I  don't  think  so  much  of  that," 
said  Brock,  again  disappointed,  for  he  had 
expected  some  wonderful  jewel.  But  Sindri 
wagged  his  head  wisely. 

"  Wait  a  little,"  he  said.  "  We  shall  see 
what  we  shall  see."  He  heaved  a  great  lump 
of  iron  into  the  fire  to  make  the  third  gift. 
But  this  time  when  he  went  away,  leaving 
Brock  at  the  bellows,  he  charged  him  to  blow 
—  blow  —  blow  without  a  minute's  rest,  or 
everything  would  be  spoiled.  For  this  was  to 
be  the  best  gift  of  all. 

Brock  planted  himself  wide-legged  at  the 
forge  and  blew  —  blew  —  blew.  But  for 
the  third  time  Loki,  winged  as  a  fly,  came 
buzzing  into  the  smithy.  This  time  he  fas- 
tened viciously  below  Brock's  bushy  eye* 


88          THE   DWARFS  GIFTS 

brow,  and  stung  him  so  cruelly  that  the  blood 
trickled  down,  a  red  river,  into  his  eyes  and 
the  poor  dwarf  was  blinded.  With  a  howl 
Brock  raised  his  hand  to  wipe  away  the 
blood,  and  of  course  in  that  minute  the  bel- 
lows stood  still.  Then  Loki  buzzed  away 
with  a  sound  that  seemed  like  a  mocking 
laugh.  At  the  same  moment  in  rushed  Sin- 
dri,  panting  with  fright,  for  he  had  heard  that 
sound  and  guessed  what  it  meant. 

"  What  have  you  done*?  "  he  cried.  "  You 
have  let  the  bellows  rest !  You  have  spoiled 
everything ! " 

"  Only  a  little  moment,  but  one  little  mo- 
ment," pleaded  Brock,  in  a  panic.  "  It  has 
done  no  harm,  has  it  ^  " 

Sindri  leaned  anxiously  over  the  fire,  and 
out  of  the  flames  he  drew  the  third  gift  — 
an  enormous  hammer. 

"  Oh ! "  said  Brock,  much  disappointed, 
"  only  an  old  iron  hammer !  I  don't  think 
anything  of  that.  Look  how  short  the  handle 
is,  too." 

"  That  is  your  fault,  brother,"  returned  the 
smith  crossly.  "  If  you  had  not  let  the  bel- 
lows stand  still,  the  handle  would  have  been 


THE  THIRD  GIFT  — AN   ENORMOUS 
HAMMER 


THE  DWARFS  GIFTS         89 

long  enough.  Yet  as  it  is  —  we  shall  see,  we 
shall  see.  I  think  it  will  at  least  win  for  you 
red  Loki's  head.  Take  the  three  gifts,  brother, 
such  as  they  are,  and  bear  them  to  Asgard. 
Let  all  the  gods  be  judges  between  you  and 
Loki,  which  gifts  are  best,  his  or  yours.  But 
stay  —  I  may  as  well  tell  you  the  secrets  of 
your  three  treasures,  or  you  will  not  know 
how  to  make  them  work.  Your  toy  that  is 
not  wound  up  is  of  no  use  at  all."  Which 
is  very  true,  as  we  all  know.  Then  he  bent 
over  and  whispered  in  Brock's  ear.  And  what 
he  said  pleased  Brock  so  much  that  he 
jumped  straight  up  into  the  air  and  capered 
like  one  of  Thor's  goats. 

"What  a  clever  brother  you  are,  to  be 
sure ! "  he  cried. 

At  that  moment  Loki,  who  had  ceased  to 
be  a  gadfly,  came  in  grinning,  with  his  three 
gifts.  "  Well,  are  you  ready  ? "  he  asked. 
Then  he  caught  sight  of  the  three  gifts  which 
Brock  was  putting  into  his  sack. 

"  Ho !  A  pig,  a  ring,  and  a  stub-handled 
hammer!"  he  shouted.  "Is  that  all  you 
have  ^  Fine  gifts,  indeed !  I  was  really  grow- 
ing uneasy,  but  now  I  see  that  my  head  is 


90         THE  DWARF'S   GIFTS 

safe.  Let  us  start  for  Asgard  immediately, 
where  I  promise  you  that  I  with  my  three 
treasures  shall  be  thrice  more  welcome  than 
you  with  your  stupid  pig,  your  ugly  ring, 
and  your  half-made  hammer." 

So  together  they  climbed  to  Asgard,  and 
there  they  found  the  ^Esir  sitting  in  the 
great  judgment  hall  on  Ida  Plain.  There  was 
Father  Odin  on  his  high  throne,  with  his  two 
ravens  at  his  head  and  his  two  wolves  at  his 
feet.  There  was  Queen  Frigg  by  his  side; 
and  about  them  were  Balder  the  beautiful, 
Frey  and  Freia,  the  fair  brother  and  sister ; 
the  mighty  Thor,  with  Sif,  his  crop-haired 
wife,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  great  JEsir  who 
lived  in  the  upper  world  above  the  homes 
of  men. 

"  Brother  ^Esir,"  said  Loki,  bowing  po- 
litely, for  he  was  a  smooth  rascal,  "  we  have 
come  each  with  three  gifts,  the  dwarf  and  I ; 
and  you  shall  judge  which  be  the  most 
worthy  of  praise.  But  if  I  lose,  —  I,  your 
brother,  —  I  lose  my  head  to  this  crooked 
little  dwarf."  So  he  spoke,  hoping  to  put  the 
^Esir  on  his  side  from  the  first.  For  his  head 
was  a  very  handsome  one,  and  the  dwarf 


THE  DWARF'S  GIFTS         91 

was  indeed  an  ill-looking  fellow.  The  gods, 
however,  nodded  gravely,  and  bade  the  two 
show  what  their  gifts  might  be. 

Then  Loki  stepped  forward  to  the  foot  of 
Odin's  throne.  And  first  he  pulled  from  his 
great  wallet  the  spear  Gungnir,  which  could 
not  miss  aim.  This  he  gave  to  Odin,  the  all- 
wise.  And  Odin  was  vastly  pleased,  as  you 
may  imagine,  to  find  himself  thenceforth  an 
unequaled  marksman.  So  he  smiled  upon 
Loki  kindly  and  said :  "  Well  done,  brother." 

Next  Loki  took  out  the  promised  hair  for 
Sif,  which  he  handed  Thor  with  a  grimace. 
Now  when  the  golden  locks  were  set  upon 
her  head,  they  grew  there  like  real  hair,  long 
and  soft  and  curling  —  but  still  real  gold. 
So  that  Sif  was  more  beautiful  than  ever  be- 
fore, and  more  precious,  too.  You  can  fancy 
how  pleased  Thor  was  with  Loki's  gift.  He 
kissed  lovely  Sif  before  all  the  gods  and 
goddesses,  and  vowed  that  he  forgave  Loki 
for  the  mischief  which  he  had  done  in  the 
first  place,  since  he  had  so  nobly  made  repara- 
tion. 

Then  Loki  took  out  the  third  gift,  all 
folded  up  like  a  paper  boat ;  and  it  was  the 


92         THE   DWARFS   GIFTS 

ship  Skidbladnir,  —  I  am  sorry  they  did  not 
give  it  a  prettier  name.  This  he  presented 
to  Frey  the  peaceful.  And  you  can  guess 
whether  or  not  Frey's  blue  eyes  laughed  with 
pleasure  at  such  a  gift. 

Now  when  Loki  stepped  back,  all  the  ^Esir 
clapped  their  hands  and  vowed  that  he  had 
done  wondrous  well. 

"You  will  have  to  show  us  fine  things, 
you  dwarf,"  quoth  Father  Odin,  "  to  better  the 
gifts  of  red  Loki.  Come,  what  have  you  in 
the  sack  you  bear  upon  your  shoulders  ?  " 

Then  the  crooked  little  Brock  hobbled  for- 
ward, bent  almost  double  under  the  great 
load  which  he  carried.  "  I  have  what  I  have," 
he  said. 

First,  out  he  pulled  the  ring  Draupnir, 
round  as  roundness  and  shining  of  gold.  This 
the  dwarf  gave  to  Odin,  and  though  it  seemed 
but  little,  yet  it  was  much.  For  every  ninth 
night  out  of  this  ring,  he  said,  would  drop 
eight  other  rings  of  gold,  as  large  and  as  fair. 
Then  Odin  clapped  his  hands  and  cried :  "  Oh, 
wondrous  gift!  I  like  it  even  better  than 
the  magic  spear  which  Loki  gave."  And  all 
the  other  ^Esir  agreed  with  him. 


THE  DWARFS   GIFTS         93 

Then  out  of  the  sack  came  grunting  Gold- 
bristle,  the  hog,  all  of  gold.  Brock  gave 
him  to  Frey,  to  match  the  magic  ship  of 
Loki.  This  Goldbristle  was  so  marvelously 
forged  that  he  could  run  more  swiftly  than 
any  horse,  on  air  or  water.  Moreover,  he 
was  a  living  lantern.  For  on  the  darkest 
night  he  bristled  with  light  like  a  million- 
pointed  star,  so  that  one  riding  on  his  back 
would  light  the  air  and  the  sea  like  a  firefly, 
wherever  he  went.  This  idea  pleased  Frey 
mightily,  for  he  was  the  merriest  of  the  gods, 
and  he  laughed  aloud. 

"  'T  is  a  wondrous  fine  gift,"  he  said.  "  I 
like  old  Goldbristle  even  better  than  the 
compressible  boat.  For  on  this  lusty  steed  I 
can  ride  about  the  world  when  I  am  tending 
the  crops  and  the  cattle  of  men  and  scattering 
the  rain  upon  them.  Master  dwarf,  I  give 
my  vote  to  you."  And  all  the  other  ^Esir 
agreed  with  him. 

Then  out  of  the  sack  Brock  drew  the  third 
gift.  It  was  the  short-handled  hammer  named 
Miolnir,  And  this  was  the  gift  which  Sindri 
had  made  for  Thor,  the  mightiest  of  the  gods ; 
and  it  was  the  best  gift  of  all.  For  with  it 


94         THE  DWARFS  GIFTS 

Thor  could  burst  the  hardest  metal  and 
shatter  the  thickest  mountain,  and  nothing 
could  withstand  its  power.  But  it  never  could 
hurt  Thor  himself;  and  no  matter  how  far 
or  how  hard  it  was  thrown,  it  would  always 
fly  back  into  Thor's  own  hand.  Last  of  all, 
whenever  he  so  wished,  the  great  hammer 
would  become  so  small  that  he  could  put  it 
in  his  pocket,  quite  out  of  sight.  But  Brock 
was  sorry  that  the  handle  was  so  short  —  all 
owing  to  his  fault,  because  he  had  let  the 
bellows  rest  for  that  one  moment. 

When  Thor  had  this  gift  in  his  hand,  he 
jumped  up  with  a  shout  of  joy.  "  'T  is  a 
wondrous  fine  gift,"  he  cried,  "with  short 
handle  or  with  long.  And  I  prize  it  even 
more  than  I  prize  the  golden  hair  of  Sif 
which  Loki  gave.  For  with  it  I  shall  fight 
our  enemies,  the  Frost  Giants  and  the  mis- 
chievous Trolls  and  the  other  monsters  — 
Loki's  friends.  And  all  the  ^Esir  will  be  glad 
of  my  gift  when  they  see  what  deeds  I  shall 
do  therewith.  Now,  if  I  may  have  my  say, 
I  judge  that  the  three  gifts  made  by  Sindri 
the  dwarf  are  the  most  precious  that  may  be. 
So  Brock  has  gained  the  prize  of  Loki's  red 


THE  DWARF'S  GIFTS         95 

head,  —  a  sorry  recompense  indeed  for  gifts 
so  masterly."  Then  Thor  sat  down.  And  all 
the  other  ^Esir  shouted  that  he  had  spoken 
well,  and  that  they  agreed  with  him. 

So  Loki  was  like  to  lose  his  head.  He  of- 
fered to  pay  instead  a  huge  price,  if  Brock 
would  let  him  go.  But  Brock  refused.  "The 
red  head  of  Loki  for  my  gift,"  he  insisted, 
and  the  gods  nodded  that  it  must  be  so,  since 
he  had  earned  his  wish. 

But  when  Loki  saw  that  the  count  was  all 
against  him,  his  eyes  grew  crafty.  "  Well, 
take  me,  then — if  you  can ! "  he  shouted.  And 
off  he  shot  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow.  For 
Loki  had  on  magic  shoes,  with  which  he  could 
run  over  sea  or  land  or  sky ;  and  the  dwarf 
could  never  catch  him  in  the  world.  Then 
Brock  was  furious.  He  stood  stamping  and 
chattering,  tearing  his  long  beard  with  rage. 

"  I  am  cheated ! "  he  cried.  "  I  have  won 
—  but  I  have  lost."  Then  he  turned  to  Thor, 
who  was  playing  with  his  hammer,  bursting 
a  mountain  or  two  and  splitting  a  tree  here 
and  there.  "  Mighty  Thor,"  begged  the 
dwarf,  "  catch  me  the  fellow  who  has  broken 
his  word.  I  have  given  you  the  best  gift,  — - 


96         THE  DWARFS  GIFTS 

your  wonderful  hammer.  Catch  me,  then, 
the  boasting  red  head  which  I  have  fairly 
bought." 

Then  Thor  stopped  his  game  and  set  out 
in  pursuit  of  Loki,  for  he  was  ever  on  the 
side  of  fairness.  No  one,  however  fleet,  can 
escape  when  Thor  follows,  for  his  is  the 
swiftness  of  a  lightning  flash.  So  he  soon 
brought  Loki  back  to  Ida  Plain,  and  gave 
him  up  a  prisoner  to  the  dwarf. 

"  I  have  you  now,  boaster,"  said  Brock 
fiercely,  "  and  I  will  cut  off  your  red  head  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye."  But  just  as  he  was 
about  to  do  as  he  said,  Loki  had  another  sly 
idea. 

"  Hold,  sirrah  dwarf,"  he  said.  "  It  is  true 
that  you  have  won  my  head,  but  not  the 
neck,  not  an  inch  of  the  neck."  And  all  the 
gods  agreed  that  this  was  so.  Then  Brock 
was  puzzled  indeed,  for  how  could  he  cut 
off  Loki's  head  without  an  inch  of  the  neck, 
too  *?  But  this  he  must  not  do,  or  he  knew 
the  just  JEsir  would  punish  him  with  death. 
So  he  was  forced  to  be  content  with  stopping 
Loki's  boasting  in  another  way.  He  would 
sew  up  the  bragging  lips. 


THE  DWARFS  GIFTS         97 

He  brought  a  stout,  strong  thread  and  an 
awl  to  bore  the  holes.  And  in  a  twinkling 
he  had  stitched  up  the  lips  of  the  sly  one,  firm 
and  fast.  So  for  a  time,  at  least,  he  put  an 
end  to  Loki's  boasting  and  his  taunts  and  his 
lies. 

It  is  a  pity  that  those  mischief-making  lips 
were  not  fastened  up  forever;  for  that  would 
have  saved  much  of  the  trouble  and  sorrow 
which  came  after.  But  at  last,  after  a  long 
time,  Loki  got  his  lips  free,  and  they  made 
great  sorrow  in  Asgard  for  the  gods  and  on 
earth  for  men,  as  you  shall  hear. 

Now  this  is  the  end  of  the  tale  which  tells 
of  the  dwarf's  gifts,  and  especially  of  Thor's 
hammer,  which  was  afterwards  to  be  of  such 
service  to  him  and  such  bane  to  the  enemies 
of  the  JEsir.  And  that  also  you  shall  hear 
before  all  is  done. 


LOKI'S  CHILDREN    >    $ 

KID  Loki,  the  wickedest  of  all  the 
^Esir,  had  done  something  of  which 
he  was  very  much  ashamed.  He 
had  married  a  giantess,  the  ugliest,  fiercest, 
most  dreadful  giantess  that  ever  lived ; 
and  of  course  he  wanted  no  one  to  find 
out  what  he  had  done,  for  he  knew  that 
Father  Odin  would  be  indignant  with  him 
for  having  wedded  one  of  the  enemies  of  the 
JEsir,  and  that  none  of  his  brothers  would  be 
grateful  to  him  for  giving  them  a  sister-in-law 
so  hideous. 

But  at  last  All-Father  found  out  the  secret 
that  Loki  had  been  hiding  for  years.  Worst 
of  all,  he  found  that  Loki  and  the  giantess 
had  three  ugly  children  hidden  away  in  the 
dark  places  of  the  earth,  —  three  children 
of  whom  Loki  was  even  more  ashamed  than 
of  their  mother,  though  he  loved  them  too. 
For  two  of  them  were  the  most  terrible 
monsters  which  time  had  ever  seen.  Hela 
his  daughter  was  the  least  ugly  of  the  three, 
though  one  could  scarcely  call  her  attractive. 
She  was  half  black  and  half  white,  which 


LOKI'S   CHILDREN  99 

must  have  looked  very  strange  ;  and  she  was 
not  easily  mistaken  by  any  one  who  chanced 
to  see  her,  you  can  well  understand.  She 
was  fierce  and  grim  to  see,  and  the  very  sight 
of  her  caused  terror  and  death  to  him  who 
gazed  upon  her. 

But  the  other  two  !  One  was  an  enormous 
wolf,  with  long  fierce  teeth  and  flashing  red 
eyes.  And  the  other  was  a  scaly,  slimy,  hor- 
rible serpent,  huger  than  any  serpent  that  ever 
lived,  and  a  hundred  times  more  ferocious. 
Can  you  wonder  that  Loki  was  ashamed  of 
such  children  as  these  ?  The  wonder  is,  how 
he  could  find  anything  about  them  to  love. 
But  Loki's  heart  loved  evil  in  secret,  and  it 
was  the  evil  in  these  three  children  of  his 
which  made  them  so  ugly. 

Now  when  Odin  discovered  that  three 
such  monsters  had  been  living  in  the  world 
without  his  knowledge,  he  was  both  angry 
and  anxious,  for  he  knew  that  these  children 
of  mischievous  Loki  and  his  wicked  giantess- 
wife  were  dangerous  to  the  peace  of  Asgard. 
He  consulted  the  Norns,  the  three  wise 
maidens  who  lived  beside  the  Urdar-well,  and 
who  could  see  into  the  future  to  tell  what 


ioo          LOKI'S  CHILDREN 

things  were  to  happen  in  coming  years.  And 
they  bade  him  beware  of  Loki's  children; 
they  told  him  that  the  three  monsters  would 
bring  great  sorrow  upon  Asgard,  for  the  giant- 
ess their  mother  would  teach  them  all  her 
hatred  of  Odin's  race,  while  they  would  have 
their  father's  sly  wisdom  to  help  them  in  all 
mischief.  So  Odin  knew  that  his  fears  had 
warned  him  truly.  Something  must  be  done 
to  prevent  the  dangers  which  threatened  As- 
gard. Something  must  be  done  to  keep  the 
three  out  of  mischief. 

Father  Odin  sent  for  all  the  gods,  and 
bade  them  go  forth  over  the  world,  find  the 
children  of  Loki  in  the  secret  places  where 
they  were  hidden,  and  bring  them  to  him. 
Then  the  JEsir  mounted  their  horses  and  set 
out  on  their  difficult  errand.  They  scoured 
Asgard,  Midgard  the  world  of  men,  Utgard 
and  Jotunheim  where  the  giants  lived.  And 
at  last  they  found  the  three  horrible  creatures 
hiding  in  their  mother's  cave.  They  dragged 
them  forth  and  took  them  up  to  Asgard,  be- 
fore Odin's  high  throne. 

Now  All-Father  had  been  considering  what 
should  be  done  with  the  three  monsters,  and 


LOKI'S  CHILDREN          101 

when  they  came,  his  mind  was  made  up. 
Hela,  the  daughter,  was  less  evil  than  the 
other  two,  but  her  face  was  dark  and  gloomy, 
and  she  brought  death  to  those  who  looked 
upon  her.  She  must  be  prisoned  out  of 
sight  in  some  far  place,  where  her  sad  eyes 
could  not  look  sorrow  into  men's  lives  and 
death  into  their  hearts.  So  he  sent  her  down, 
down  into  the  dark,  cold  land  of  Niflheim, 
which  lay  below  one  root  of  the  great  tree 
Yggdrasil.  Here  she  must  live  forever  and 
ever.  And,  because  she  was  not  wholly  bad, 
Odin  made  her  queen  of  that  land,  and  for 
ner  subjects  she  was  to  have  all  the  folk  who 
died  upon  the  earth,  —  except  the  heroes 
who  perished  in  battle ;  for  these  the  Valky- 
ries carried  straight  to  Valhalla  in  Asgard, 
But  all  who  died  of  sickness  or  of  old  age, 
all  who  met  their  deaths  through  accident  or 
men's  cruelty,  were  sent  to  Queen  Hela,  who 
gave  them  lodgings  in  her  gloomy  palace. 
Vast  was  her  kingdom,  huge  as  nine  worlds, 
and  it  was  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  so  that 
no  one  who  had  once  gone  thither  could  ever 
return.  And  here  thenceforth  Loki's  daugh- 
ter reigned  among  the  shadows,  herself  half 


io2          LOKI'S  CHILDREN 

shadow  and  half  light,  half  good  and  half 
bad. 

But  the  Midgard  serpent  was  a  more  dan- 
gerous beast  even  than  Death.  Odin  frowned 
when  he  looked  upon  this  monster  writhing 
before  his  throne.  He  seized  the  scaly  length 
in  his  mighty  arms  and  hurled  it  forth  over 
the  wall  of  Asgard.  Down,  down  went  the 
great  serpent,  twisting  and  twirling  as  he  fell, 
while  all  the  sky  was  black  with  the  smoke 
from  his  nostrils,  and  the  sound  of  his  hissing 
made  every  creature  tremble.  Down,  down 
he  fell  with  a  great  splash  into  the  deep 
ocean  which  surrounded  the  world.  There  he 
lay  writhing  and  squirming,  growing  always 
larger  and  larger,  until  he  was  so  huge  that 
he  stretched  like  a  ring  about  the  whole 
earth,  with  his  tail  in  his  mouth,  and  his 
wicked  eyes  glaring  up  through  the  water 
towards  Asgard  which  he  hated.  Sometimes 
he  heaved  himself  up,  great  body  and  all, 
trying  to  escape  from  the  ocean  which  was 
his  prison.  At  those  times  there  were  great 
waves  in  the  sea,  snow  and  stormy  winds  and 
rain  upon  the  earth,  and  every  one  would 
be  filled  with  fear  lest  he  escape  and  bring 


LOKFS   CHILDREN  103 

horrors  to  pass.  But  he  was  never  able  to 
drag  out  his  whole  hideous  length.  For  the 
evil  in  him  had  grown  with  his  growth ;  and 
a  weight  of  evil  is  the  heaviest  of  all  things 
to  lift. 

The  third  monster  was  the  Fenris  wolf, 
and  this  was  the  most  dreadful  of  the  three. 
He  was  so  terrible  that  at  first  Father  Odin 
decided  not  to  let  him  out  of  his  sight.  He 
lived  in  Asgard  then,  among  the  ^Esir. 
Only  Tyr  the  brave  had  courage  enough  to 
give  him  food.  Day  by  day  he  grew  huger 
and  huger,  fiercer  and  fiercer,  and  finally, 
when  All-Father  saw  how  mighty  he  had 
become,  and  how  he  bid  fair  to  bring  de- 
struction upon  all  Asgard  if  he  were  allowed 
to  prowl  and  growl  about  as  he  saw  fit,  Odin 
resolved  to  have  the  beast  chained  up.  The 
JQsir  then  went  to  their  smithies  and  forged 
a  long,  strong  chain  which  they  thought  no 
living  creature  could  break.  They  took  it 
to  the  wolf  to  try  its  strength,  and  he,  look- 
ing sidewise,  chuckled  to  himself  and  let 
them  do  what  they  would  with  him.  But 
as  soon  as  he  stretched  himself,  the1  chain 
burst  into  a  thousand  pieces,  as  if  it  were 


io4          LOKI'S   CHILDREN 

made  of  twine.  Then  the  ^Esir  hurried  away 
and  made  another  chain,  far,  far  stronger  than 
the  first. 

"  If  you  can  break  this,  O  Fenrir,"  they 
said,  "  you  will  be  famous  indeed." 

Again  the  wolf  blinked  at  his  chain ; 
again  he  chuckled  and  let  them  fasten  him 
without  a  struggle,  for  he  knew  that  his 
own  strength  had  been  increased  since  he 
broke  the  other;  but  as  soon  as  the  chain 
was  fastened,  he  shook  his  great  shoulders, 
kicked  his  mighty  legs,  and  —  snap !  —  the 
links  of  the  chain  went  whirling  far  and 
wide,  and  once  more  the  fierce  beast  was 
free. 

Then  the  ^Esir  were  alarmed  for  fear  that 
they  would  never  be  able  to  make  a  chain 
mighty  enough  to  hold  the  wolf,  who  was 
growing  stronger  every  minute ;  but  they 
sent  Skirnir,  Frey's  trusty  messenger,  to  the 
land  of  the  dwarfs  for  help.  "Make  us  a 
chain,"  was  the  message  he  bore  from  the 
^Esir,  — "  make  us  a  chain  stronger  than 
any  chain  that  was  ever  forged;  for  the 
Fenris  wolf  must  be  captured  and  bounds 
or  all  the  world  must  pay  the  penalty." 


LOKI'S   CHILDREN  105 

The  dwarfs  were  the  finest  workmen  in 
the  world,  as  the  jEsir  knew;  for  it  was 
they  who  made  Thor's  hammer,  and  Odin's 
spear,  and  Balder's  famous  ship,  besides 
many  other  wondrous  things  that  you  re- 
member. So  when  Skirnir  gave  them  the 
message,  they  set  to  work  with  their  little 
hammers  and  anvils,  and  before  long  they 
had  welded  a  wonderful  chain,  such  as  no 
man  had  ever  before  seen.  Strange  things 
went  to  the  making  of  it,  —  the  sound  of 
a  cat's  footsteps,  the  roots  of  a  mountain, 
a  bear's  sinews,  a  fish's  breath,  and  other 
magic  materials  that  only  the  dwarfs  knew 
how  to  put  together ;  and  the  result  was  a 
chain  as  soft  and  twistable  as  a  silken  cord, 
but  stronger  than  an  iron  cable.  With  this 
chain  Skirnir  galloped  back  to  Asgard,  and 
with  it  the  gods  were  sure  of  chaining 
Fenrir  ;  but  they  meant  to  go  about  the 
business  slyly,  so  that  the  wolf  should  not 
suspect  the  danger  which  was  so  near. 

"  Ho,  Fenrir  !  "  they  cried.  "  Here  is  a 
new  chain  for  you.  Do  you  think  you  can 
snap  this  as  easily  as  you  did  the  last  ? 
We  warn  you  that  it  is  stronger  than  it 


106  LOKI'S   CHILDREN 

looks."  They  handed  it  about  from  one 
to  another,  each  trying  to  break  the  links, 
but  in  vain.  The  wolf  watched  them  dis- 
dainfully. 

"  Pooh !  There  is  little  honor  in  break- 
ing a  thread  so  slender  !  "  he  said.  "  I  know 
that  I  could  snap  it  with  one  bite  of  my  big 
teeth.  But  there  may  be  some  trick  about 
it ;  I  will  not  let  it  bind  my  feet,  —  not  I." 

"  Oho  ! "  cried  the  ^Esir.  "  He  is  afraid  ! 
He  fears  that  we  shall  bind  him  in  cords 
that  he  cannot  loose.  But  see  how  slender 
the  chain  is.  Surely,  if  you  could  burst  the 
chain  of  iron,  O  Fenrir,  you  could  break 
this  far  more  easily."  Still  the  wolf  shook 
his  head,  and  refused  to  let  them  fasten  him, 
suspecting  some  trick.  "But  even  if  you 
find  that  you  cannot  break  our  chain,"  they 
said,  "you  need  not  be  afraid.  We  shall 
set  you  free  again." 

"  Set  me  free ! "  growled  the  wolf.  "  Yes, 
you  will  set  me  free  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
—  not  before  !  I  know  your  ways,  O  ^Esir ; 
and  if  you  are  able  to  bind  me  so  fast  that 
I  cannot  free  myself,  I  shall  wait  long  to 
have  the  chain  made  loose.  But  no  one' 


LOKI'S  CHILDREN  107 

shall  call  me  coward.  If  one  of  you  will 
place  his  hand  in  my  mouth  and  hold  it 
there  while  the  others  bind  me,  I  will  let 
the  chain  be  fastened." 

The  gods  looked  at  one  another,  their 
mouths  drooping.  Who  would  do  this 
thing  and  bear  the  fury  of  the  angry  wolf 
when  he  should  find  himself  tricked  and 
captured?  Yet  this  was  their  only  chance 
to  bind  the  monster  and  protect  Asgard 
from  danger.  At  last  bold  Tyr  stepped  for- 
ward, the  bravest  of  all  the  ^Esir.  "Open 
your  mouth,  Fenrir,"  he  cried,  with  a  laugh. 
"  I  will  pledge  my  hand  to  the  trial." 

Then  the  wolf  yawned  his  great  jaws, 
and  Tyr  thrust  in  his  good  right  hand, 
knowing  full  well  that  he  was  to  lose  it 
in  the  game.  The  JEsir  stepped  up  with 
the  dwarfs'  magic  chain,  and  Fenrir  let 
them  fasten  it  about  his  feet.  But  when 
the  bonds  were  drawn  tight,  he  began 
to  struggle ;  and  the  more  he  tugged,  the 
tighter  drew  the  chain,  so  that  he  soon  saw 
himself  to  be  entrapped.  Then  how  he 
•writhed  and  kicked,  howled  and  growled,  in 
his  terrible  rage  !  How  the  heavens  trem- 


io8          LOKI'S  CHILDREN 

bled  and  the  earth  shook  below!  The 
set  up  a  laugh  to  see  him  so  helpless  —  all 
except  Tyr ;  for  at  the  first  sound  of  laugh- 
ter the  wolf  shut  his  great  mouth  with  a 
click,  and  poor  brave  Tyr  had  lost  the  right 
hand  which  had  done  so  many  heroic  deeds 
in  battle,  and  which  would  never  again 
wave  sword  before  the  warriors  whom  he 
loved  and  would  help  to  win  the  victory. 
But  great  was  the  honor  which  he  won  that 
day,  for  without  his  generous  deed  the  Fen- 
ris  wolf  could  never  have  been  captured. 

And  now  the  monster  was  safely  secured 
by  the  strong  chain  which  the  dwarfs  had 
made,  and  all  his  struggles  to  be  free  were 
in  vain,  for  they  only  bound  the  silken  rope 
all  the  tighter.  The  JEsir  took  one  end  of 
the  chain  and  fastened  it  through  a  big  rock 
which  they  planted  far  down  in  the  earth, 
as  far  as  they  could  drive  it  with  a  huge 
hammer  of  stone.  Into  the  wolf's  great  mouth 
they  thrust  a  sword  crosswise,  so  that  the 
hilt  pierced  his  lower  jaw  while  the  point 
stuck  through  the  upper  one;  and  there  in 
the  heart  of  the  world  he  lay  howling  and 
growling,  but  quite  unable  to  move.  Only 


LOKI'S  CHILDREN  109 

the  foam  which  dripped  from  his  angry  jaws 
trickled  away  and  over  the  earth  until  it 
formed  a  mighty  river  ;  from  his  wicked 
mouth  also  came  smoke  and  fire,  and  the 
sound  of  his  horrible  growls.  And  when 
men  hear  this  and  see  this  they  run  away  as 
fast  as  they  can,  for  they  know  that  danger 
still  lurks  near  where  the  Fenris  wolf  lies 
chained  in  the  depths  of  the  earth ;  and  here 
he  will  lie  until  Ragnarok,  —  until  the  end 
of  all  things. 


THE     qUEST    OF    THE 
HAMMER  ***>>** 

ONE  morning  Thor  the  Thunderer 
awoke  with  a  yawn,  and  stretch- 
ing out  his  knotted  arm,  felt  for 
his  precious  hammer,  which  he  kept  always 
under  his  pillow  of  clouds.  But  he  started 
up  with  a  roar  of  rage,  so  that  all  the  palace 
trembled.  The  hammer  was  gone  ! 

Now  this  was  a  very  serious  matter,  for 
Thor  was  the  protector  of  Asgard,  and  Mi- 
olnir,  the  magic  hammer  which  the  dwarf 
had  made,  was  his  mighty  weapon,  of  which 
the  enemies  of  the  ^Esir  stood  so  much 
in  dread  that  they  dared  not  venture  near. 
But  if  they  should  learn  that  Miolnir  was 
gone,  who  could  tell  what  danger  might  not 
threaten  the  palaces  of  heaven  ? 

Thor  darted  his  flashing  eye  into  every 
corner  of  Cloud  Land  in  search  of  the  ham- 
mer. He  called  his  fair  wife,  Sif  of  the 
golden  hair,  to  aid  in  the  search,  and  his 
two  lovely  daughters,  Thrude  and  Lora. 
They  hunted  and  they  hunted ;  they  turned 
Thrudheim  upside  down,  and  set  the  clouds 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  in 

to  rolling  wonderfully,  as  they  peeped  and 
pried  behind  and  around  and  under  each 
billowy  mass.  But  Miolnir  was  not  to  be 
found.  Certainly,  some  one  had  stolen  it. 

Thor's  yellow  beard  quivered  with  rage, 
and  his  hair  bristled  on  end  like  the  golden 
rays  of  a  star,  while  all  his  household  trem- 
bled. 

"  It  is  Loki  again !  "  he  cried.  "  I  am  sure 
Loki  is  at  the  bottom  of  this  mischief ! " 
For  since  the  time  when  Thor  had  captured 
Loki  for  the  dwarf  Brock  and  had  given 
him  over  to  have  his  bragging  lips  sewed 
up,  Loki  had  looked  at  him  with  evil  eyes ; 
and  Thor  knew  that  the  red  rascal  hated 
him  most  of  all  the  gods. 

But  this  time  Thor  was  mistaken.  It  was 
not  Loki  who  had  stolen  the  hammer,  — 
he  was  too  great  a  coward  for  that.  And 
though  he  meant,  before  the  end,  to  be  re- 
venged upon  Thor,  he  was  waiting  until  a 
safe  chance  should  come,  when  Thor  him- 
self might  stumble  into  danger,  and  Loki 
need  only  to  help  the  evil  by  a  malicious 
word  or  two;  and  this  chance  came  later, 
as  you  shall  hear  in  another  tale. 


ii2  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

Meanwhile  Loki  was  on  his  best  behavior, 
trying  to  appear  very  kind  and  obliging;  so 
when  Thor  came  rumbling  and  roaring  up 
to  him,  demanding,  "  What  have  you  done 
with  my  hammer,  you  thief?"  Loki  looked 
surprised,  but  did  not  lose  his  temper  nor 
answer  rudely. 

"  Have  you  indeed  missed  your  hammer, 
brother  Thor  *?  "  he  said,  mumbling,  for  his 
mouth  was  still  sore  where  Brock  had  sewed 
the  stitches.  "  That  is  a  pity ;  for  if  the 
giants  hear  of  this,  they  will  be  coming  to 
try  their  might  against  Asgard." 

"  Hush  ! "  muttered  Thor,  grasping  him 
by  the  shoulder  with  his  iron  fingers.  "  That 
is  what  I  fear.  But  look  you,  Loki :  I  sus- 
pect your  hand  in  the  mischief.  Come,  con- 
fess." 

Then  Loki  protested  that  he  had  nothing 
to  do  with  so  wicked  a  deed.  "But,"  he 
added  wheedlingly,  "  I  think  I  can  guess 
the  thief;  and  because  I  love  you,  Thor,  I 
will  help  you  to  find  him." 

"  Humph ! "  growled  Thor.  "  Much  love 
you  bear  to  me !  However,  you  are  a  wise 
rascal,  the  nimblest  wit  of  all  the  JEsir,  and 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  113 

it  is  better  to  have  you  on  my  side  than 
on  the  other,  when  giants  are  in  the  game. 
Tell  me,  then :  who  has  robbed  the  Thun- 
der-Lord of  his  bolt  of  power  ?  " 

Loki  drew  near  and  whispered  in  Thor's 
ear.  "Look,  how  the  storms  rage  and  the 
winds  howl  in  the  world  below !  Some  one 
is  wielding  your  thunder-hammer  all  unskill- 
fully.  Can  you  not  guess  the  thief?  Who 
but  Thrym,  the  mighty  giant  who  has  ever 
been  your  enemy  and  your  imitator,  and 
whose  fingers  have  long  itched  to  grasp  the 
short  handle  of  mighty  Miolnir,  that  the 
world  may  name  him  Thunder-Lord  instead 
of  you.  But  look  !  What  a  tempest !  The 
world  will  be  shattered  into  fragments  un- 
less we  soon  get  the  hammer  back." 

Then  Thor  roared  with  rage.  "  I  will  seek 
this  impudent  Thrym  !  "  he  cried.  "  I  will 
crush  him  into  bits,  and  teach  him  to  med- 
dle with  the  weapon  of  the  ^Esir ! " 

"  Softly,  softly,"  said  Loki,  smiling  mali- 
ciously. "  He  is  a  shrewd  giant,  and  a 
mighty.  Even  you,  great  Thor,  cannot  go 
to  him  and  pluck  the  hammer  from  his 
hand  as  one  would  slip  the  rattle  from  a 


1 14  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

baby's  pink  fist.  Nay,  you  must  use  craft, 
Thor;  and  it  is  I  who  will  teach  you,  if 
you  will  be  patient." 

Thor  was  a  brave,  blunt  fellow,  and  he 
hated  the  ways  of  Loki,  his  lies  and  his  de- 
ceit. He  liked  best  the  way  of  warriors,  — 
the  thundering  charge,  the  flash  of  weapons, 
and  the  heavy  blow;  but  without  the  ham- 
mer he  could  not  fight  the  giants  hand  to 
hand.  Loki's  advice  seemed  wise,  and  he 
decided  to  leave  the  matter  to  the  Red  One. 

Loki  was  now  all  eagerness,  for  he  loved 
difficulties  which  would  set  his  wit  in  play 
and  bring  other  folk  into  danger.  "Look, 
now,"  he  said.  "  We  must  go  to  Freia  and 
borrow  her  falcon  dress.  But  you  must  ask ; 
for  she  loves  me  so  little  that  she  would 
scarce  listen  to  me." 

So  first  they  made  their  way  to  Folkvang, 
the  house  of  maidens,  where  Freia  dwelt,  the 
loveliest  of  all  in  Asgard.  She  was  fairer 
than  fair,  and  sweeter  than  sweet,  and  the 
tears  from  her  flower-eyes  made  the  dew 
which  blessed  the  earth-flowers  night  and 
morning.  Of  her  Thor  borrowed  the  magic 
dress  of  feathers  in  which  Freia  was  wont 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  115 

to  clothe  herself  and  flit  like  a  great  beau- 
tiful bird  all  about  the  world.  She  was  will- 
ing enough  to  lend  it  to  Thor  when  he  told 
her  that  by  its  aid  he  hoped  to  win  back 
the  hammer  which  he  had  lost ;  for  she  well 
knew  the  danger  threatening  herself  and  all 
the  JEsir  until  Miolnir  should  be  found. 

"  Now  will  I  fetch  the  hammer  for  you," 
said  Loki.  So  he  put  on  the  falcon  plum- 
age, and,  spreading  his  brown  wings, 
flapped  away  up,  up,  over  the  world,  down, 
down,  across  the  great  ocean  which  lies 
beyond  all  things  that  men  know.  And  he 
came  to  the  dark  country  where  there  was 
no  sunshine  nor  spring,  but  it  was  always 
dreary  winter ;  where  mountains  were  piled 
up  like  blocks  of  ice,  and  where  great  cav- 
erns yawned  hungrily  in  blackness.  And 
this  was  Jotunheim,  the  land  of  the  Frost 
Giants. 

And  lo  !  when  Loki  came  thereto  he 
found  Thrym  the  Giant  King  sitting  out- 
side his  palace  cave,  playing  with  his  dogs 
and  horses.  The  dogs  were  as  big  as  ele- 
phants, and  the  horses  were  as  big  as  houses, 
but  Thrym  himself  was  as  huge  as  a  moun- 


n6  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

tain;  and  Loki  trembled,  but  he  tried  to 
seem  brave. 

"Good-day,  Loki,"  said  Thrym,  with  the 
terrible  voice  of  which  he  was  so  proud, 
for  he  fancied  it  was  as  loud  as  Thor's. 
"  How  fares  it,  feathered  one,  with  your 
little  brothers,  the  ^Esir,  in  Asgard  halls  *? 
And  how  dare  you  venture  alone  in  this 
guise  to  Giant  Land  ?  " 

"  It  is  an  ill  day  in  Asgard,"  sighed  Loki, 
keeping  his  eye  warily  upon  the  giant, 
"and  a  stormy  one  in  the  world  of  men. 
I  heard  the  winds  howling  and  the  storms 
rushing  on  the  earth  as  I  passed  by.  Some 
mighty  one  has  stolen  the  hammer  of  our 
Thor.  Is  it  you,  Thrym,  greatest  of  all 
giants,  —  greater  than  Thor  himself?  " 

This  the  crafty  one  said  to  flatter  Thrym, 
for  Loki  well  knew  the  weakness  of  those 
who  love  to  be  thought  greater  than  they 
are. 

Then  Thrym  bridled  and  swelled  with 
pride,  and  tried  to  put  on  the  majesty  and 
awe  of  noble  Thor ;  but  he  only  succeeded 
in  becoming  an  ugly,  puffy  monster. 

"Well,  yes,"  he  admitted.    "I  have  the 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  117 

hammer  that  belonged  to  your  little  Thor; 
and  now  how  much  of  a  lord  is  he  *?  " 

"  Alack  !  "  sighed  Loki  again,  "  weak 
enough  he  is  without  his  magic  weapon. 
But  you,  O  Thrym,  —  surely  your  mighti- 
ness needs  no  such  aid.  Give  me  the  ham- 
mer, that  Asgard  may  no  longer  be  shaken 
by  Thor's  grief  for  his  precious  toy." 

But  Thrym  was  not  so  easily  to  be  flat- 
tered into  parting  with  his  stolen  treasure. 
He  grinned  a  dreadful  grin,  several  yards 
in  width,  which  his  teeth  barred  like  jagged 
boulders  across  the  entrance  to  a  mountain 
cavern. 

"Miolnir  the  hammer  is  mine,"  he  said, 
"and  I  am  Thunder-Lord,  mightiest  of  the 
mighty.  I  have  hidden  it  where  Thor  can 
never  find  it,  twelve  leagues  below  the 
sea-caves,  where  Queen  Ran  lives  with  her 
daughters,  the  white-capped  Waves.  But 
listen,  Loki.  Go  tell  the  ^Esir  that  I  will 
give  back  Thor's  hammer.  I  will  give  it 
back  upon  one  condition,  —  that  they  send 
Freia  the  beautiful  to  be  my  wife." 

"  Freia  the  beautiful ! "  Loki  had  to  stifle 
a  laugh.  Fancy  the  ^Esir  giving  their  fair* 


n8  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

est  flower  to  such  an  ugly  fellow  as  this ! 
But  he  only  said  politely,  "Ah,  yes;  you 
demand  our  Freia  in  exchange  for  the  little 
hammer  ?  It  is  a  costly  price,  great  Thrym. 
But  I  will  be  your  friend  in  Asgard.  If  I 
have  my  way,  you  shall  soon  see  the  fair- 
est bride  in  all  the  world  knocking  at  your 
door.  Farewell ! " 

So  Loki  whizzed  back  to  Asgard  on  his 
falcon  wings;  and  as  he  went  he  chuckled 
to  think  of  the  evils  which  were  likely  to 
happen  because  of  his  words  with  Thrym. 
First  he  gave  the  message  to  Thor,  —  not 
sparing  of  Thrym's  insolence,  to  make  Thor 
angry;  and  then  he  went  to  Freia  with  the 
word  for  her,  —  not  sparing  of  Thrym's 
ugliness,  to  make  her  shudder.  The  spite- 
ful fellow  ! 

Now  you  can  imagine  the  horror  that  was 
in  Asgard  as  the  ^Esir  listened  to  Loki's 
words.  "  My  hammer !  "  roared  Thor.  "  The 
villain  confesses  that  he  has  stolen  my  ham- 
mer, and  boasts  that  he  is  Thunder-Lord ! 
Gr-r-r ! " 

"  The  ugly  giant ! "  wailed  Freia.  "  Must 
I  be  the  bride  of  that  hideous  old  monster, 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  119 

and  live  in  his  gloomy  mountain  prison  all 
my  life  ?  " 

"Yes;  put  on  your  bridal  veil,  sweet 
Freia,"  said  Loki  maliciously,  "and  come 
with  me  to  Jotunheim.  Hang  your  famous 
starry  necklace  about  your  neck,  and  don 
your  bravest  robe ;  for  in  eight  days  there 
will  be  a  wedding,  and  Thor's  hammer  is 
to  pay." 

Then  Freia  fell  to  weeping.  "  I  cannot 
go !  I  will  not  go ! "  she  cried.  "  I  will 
not  leave  the  home  of  gladness  and  Father 
Odin's  table  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  horrors ! 
Thor's  hammer  is  mighty,  but  mightier  the 
love  of  the  kind  JEsir  for  their  little  Freia ! 
Good  Odin,  dear  brother  Frey,  speak  for 
me  !  You  will  not  make  me  go  ?  " 

The  ^Esir  looked  at  her  and  thought  how 
lonely  and  bare  would  Asgard  be  without 
her  loveliness ;  for  she  was  fairer  than  fair, 
and  sweeter  than  sweet. 

"  She  shall  not  go  ! "  shouted  Frey,  put- 
ting his  arms  about  his  sister's  neck. 

"No,  she  shall  not  go!"  cried  all  the 
JEsir  with  one  voice. 

"But  my  hammer,"  insisted  Thor.  "I 
must  have  Miolnir  back  again." 


120  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

"And  my  word  to  Thrym,"  said  Loki, 
"  that  must  be  made  good." 

"  You  are  too  generous  with  your  words," 
said  Father  Odin  sternly,  for  he  knew  his 
brother  well.  "  Your  word  is  not  a  gem  of 
great  price,  for  you  have  made  it  cheap." 

Then  spoke  Heimdal,  the  sleepless  watch- 
man who  sits  on  guard  at  the  entrance  to 
the  rainbow  bridge  which  leads  to  Asgard; 
and  Heimdal  was  the  wisest  of  the  ^Esir, 
for  he  could  see  into  the  future,  and  knew 
how  things  would  come  to  pass.  Through 
his  golden  teeth  he  spoke,  for  his  teeth  were 
all  of  gold. 

"  I  have  a  plan,"  he  said.  "  Let  us  dress 
Thor  himself  like  a  bride  in  Freia's  robes, 
and  send  him  to  Jotunheim  to  talk  with 
Thrym  and  to  win  back  his  hammer." 

But  at  this  word  Thor  grew  very  angry. 
"  What !  dress  me  like  a  girl ! "  he  roared. 
"  I  should  never  hear  the  last  of  it !  The 
JEsir  will  mock  me,  and  call  me  ( maiden ' ! 
The  giants,  and  even  the  puny  dwarfs, 
will  have  a  lasting  jest  upon  me  !  I  will  not 
go !  I  will  fight !  I  will  die,  if  need  be ! 
But  dressed  as  a  woman  I  will  not  go ! " 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  121 

But  Loki  answered  him  with  sharp  words, 
for  this  was  a  scheme  after  his  own  heart. 
"  What,  Thor ! "  he  said.  "  Would  you  lose 
your  hammer  and  keep  Asgard  in  danger 
for  so  small  a  whim?  Look,  now:  if  you 
go  not,  Thrym  with  his  giants  will  come 
in  a  mighty  army  and  drive  us  from  As- 
gard ;  then  he  will  indeed  make  Freia  his 
bride,  and  moreover  he  will  have  you  for 
his  slave  under  the  power  of  his  hammer. 
How  like  you  this  picture,  brother  of  the 
thunder  *?  Nay,  Heimdal's  plan  is  a  good 
one,  and  I  myself  will  help  to  carry  it  out." 

Still  Thor  hesitated ;  but  Freia  came  and 
laid  her  white  hand  on  his  arm,  and  looked 
up  into  his  scowling  face  pleadingly. 

"To  save  me,  Thor,"  she  begged.  And 
Thor  said  he  would  go. 

Then  there  was  great  sport  among  the 
^Esir,  while  they  dressed  Thor  like  a  beau- 
tiful maiden.  Brunhilde  and  her  sisters,  the 
nine  Valkyrie,  daughters  of  Odin,  had  the 
task  in  hand.  How  they  laughed  as  they 
brushed  and  curled  his  yellow  hair,  and  set 
upon  it  the  wondrous  headdress  of  silk  and 
pearls !  They  let  out  seams,  and  they  let 


122  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

down  hems,  and  set  on  extra  pieces,  to 
make  it  larger,  and  so  they  hid  his  great 
limbs  and  knotted  arms  under  Freia's  fair- 
est robe  of  scarlet ;  but  beneath  it  all  he 
would  wear  his  shirt  of  mail  and  his  belt 
of  power  that  gave  him  double  strength. 
Freia  herself  twisted  about  his  neck  her 
famous  necklace  of  starry  jewels,  and  Queen 
Frigg,  his  mother,  hung  at  his  girdle  a  jin- 
gling bunch  of  keys,  such  as  was  the  custom 
for  the  bride  to  wear  at  Norse  weddings. 
Last  of  all,  that  Thrym  might  not  see 
Thor's  fierce  eyes  and  the  yellow  beard, 
that  ill  became  a  maiden,  they  threw  over 
him  a  long  veil  of  silver  white  which  cov- 
ered him  to  the  feet.  And  there  he  stood, 
as  stately  and  tall  a  bride  as  even  a  giant 
might  wish  to  see ;  but  on  his  hands  he 
wore  his  iron  gloves,  and  they  ached  for 
but  one  thing,  —  to  grasp  the  handle  of  the 
stolen  hammer. 

"  Ah,  what  a  lovely  maid  it  is ! "  chuckled 
Loki ;  "  and  how  glad  will  Thrym  be  to  see 
this  Freia  come !  Bride  Thor,  I  will  go  with 
you  as  your  handmaiden,  for  I  would  fain 
see  the  fun." 


"AH,  WHAT  A  LOVELY  MAID  IT  IS! 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  123 

"Come,  then,"  said  Thor  sulkily,  for  he 
was  ill  pleased,  and  wore  his  maiden  robes 
with  no  good  grace.  "  It  is  fitting  that  you 
go ;  for  I  like  not  these  lies  and  mask  ings, 
and  I  may  spoil  the  mummery  without  you 
at  my  elbow." 

There  was  loud  laughter  above  the  clouds 
when  Thor,  all  veiled  and  dainty  seeming, 
drove  away  from  Asgard  to  his  wedding, 
with  maid  Loki  by  his  side.  Thor  cracked 
his  whip  and  chirruped  fiercely  to  his  twin 
goats  with  golden  hoofs,  for  he  wanted  to 
escape  the  sounds  of  mirth  that  echoed 
from  the  rainbow  bridge,  where  all  the  JEsir 
stood  watching.  Loki,  sitting  with  his  hands 
meekly  folded  like  a  girl,  chuckled  as  he 
glanced  up  at  Thor's  angry  face ;  but  he 
said  nothing,  for  he  knew  it  was  not  good 
to  joke  too  far  with  Thor,  even  when  Miol- 
nir  was  hidden  twelve  leagues  below  the  sea 
in  Ran's  kingdom. 

So  off  they  dashed  to  Jotunheim,  where 
Thrym  was  waiting  and  longing  for  his 
beautiful  bride.  Thor's  goats  thundered 
along  above  the  sea  and  land  and  people 
far  below,  who  looked  up  wondering  as 


124  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

the  noise  rolled  overhead.  "  Hear  how  the 
thunder  rumbles  ! "  they  said.  "  Thor  is  on 
a  long  journey  to-night."  And  a  long  jour- 
ney it  was,  as  the  tired  goats  found  before 
they  reached  the  end. 

Thrym  heard  the  sound  of  their  approach, 
for  his  ear  was  eager.  "  Hola ! "  he  cried. 
"  Some  one  is  coming  from  Asgard,  —  only 
one  of  Odin's  children  could  make  a  din  so 
fearful.  Hasten,  men,  and  see  if  they  are 
bringing  Freia  to  be  my  wife." 

Then  the  lookout  giant  stepped  down  from 
the  top  of  his  mountain,  and  said  that  a  char- 
iot was  bringing  two  maidens  to  the  door. 

"Run,  giants,  run!"  shouted  Thrym,  in 
a  fever  at  this  news.  "  My  bride  is  coming ! 
Put  silken  cushions  on  the  benches  for  a 
great  banquet,  and  make  the  house  beau- 
tiful for  the  fairest  maid  in  all  space !  Bring 
in  all  my  golden-horned  cows  and  my  coal- 
black  oxen,  that  she  may  see  how  rich  I 
am,  and  heap  all  my  gold  and  jewels  about 
to  dazzle  her  sweet  eyes !  She  shall  find  me 
richest  of  the  rich ;  and  when  I  have  her,  — 
fairest  of  the  fair,  —  there  will  be  no  treasure 
that  I  lack,  —  not  one  ! " 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  125 

The  chariot  stopped  at  the  gate,  and  out 
stepped  the  tall  bride,  hidden  from  head  to 
foot,  and  her  handmaiden  muffled  to  the 
chin.  "How  afraid  of  catching  cold  they 
must  be  ! "  whispered  the  giant  ladies,  who 
were  peering  over  one  another's  shoulders 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  bride,  just  as  the 
crowd  outside  the  awning  does  at  a  wedding 
nowadays. 

Thrym  had  sent  six  splendid  servants  to 
escort  the  maidens :  these  were  the  Metal 
Kings,  who  served  him  as  lord  of  them  all. 
There  was  the  Gold  King,  all  in  cloth  of 
gold,  with  fringes  of  yellow  bullion,  most 
glittering  to  see ;  and  there  was  the  Silver 
King,  almost  as  gorgeous  in  a  suit  of  span- 
gled white  ;  and  side  by  side  bowed  the 
dark  Kings  of  Iron  and  Lead,  the  one 
mighty  in  black,  the  other  sullen  in  blue ; 
and  after  them  were  the  Copper  King, 
gleaming  ruddy  and  brave,  and  the  Tin 
King,  strutting  in  his  trimmings  of  gaudy 
tinsel  which  looked  nearly  as  well  as  silver 
but  were  more  economical.  And  this  fine 
troop  of  lackey  kings  most  politely  led 
Thor  and  Loki  into  the  palace,  and  gave 


126  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

them  of  the  best,  for  they  never  suspected 
who  these  seeming  maidens  really  were. 

And  when  evening  came  there  was  a 
wonderful  banquet  to  celebrate  the  wed- 
ding. On  a  golden  throne  sat  Thrym, 
uglier  than  ever  in  his  finery  of  purple 
and  gold.  Beside  him  was  the  bride,  of 
whose  face  no  one  had  yet  caught  even  a 
glimpse ;  and  at  Thrym's  other  hand  stood 
Loki,  the  waiting-maid,  for  he  wanted  to 
be  near  to  mend  the  mistakes  which  Thor 
might  make. 

Now  the  dishes  at  the  feast  were  served 
in  a  huge  way,  as  befitted  the  table  of 
giants :  great  beeves  roasted  whole,  on  plat- 
ters as  wide  across  as  a  ship's  deck;  plum- 
puddings  as  fat  as  feather-beds,  with  plums 
as  big  as  footballs;  and  a  wedding  cake 
like  a  snow-capped  haymow.  The  giants 
ate  enormously.  But  to  Thor,  because  they 
thought  him  a  dainty  maiden,  they  served 
small  bits  of  everything  on  a  tiny  gold 
dish.  Now  Thor's  long  journey  had  made 
him  very  hungry,  and  through  his  veil  he 
whispered  to  Loki,  "  I  shall  starve,  Loki ! 
I  cannot  fare  on  these  nibbles.  I  must  eat  a 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  127 

goodly  meal  as  I  do  at  home."  And  forth- 
with he  helped  himself  to  such  morsels  as 
might  satisfy  his  hunger  for  a  little  time. 
You  should  have  seen  the  giants  stare  at 
the  meal  which  the  dainty  bride  devoured ! 

For  first  under  the  silver  veil  disappeared 
by  pieces  a  whole  roast  ox.  Then  Thor 
made  eight  mouthfuls  of  eight  pink  salmon, 
a  dish  of  which  he  was  very  fond.  And  next 
he  looked  about  and  reached  for  a  platter 
of  cakes  and  sweetmeats  that  was  set  aside 
at  one  end  of  the  table  for  the  lady  guests, 
and  the  bride  ate  them  all.  You  can  fancy 
how  the  damsels  drew  down  their  mouths 
and  looked  at  one  another  when  they  saw 
their  dessert  disappear ;  and  they  whispered 
about  the  table,  "  Alack !  if  our  future  mis- 
tress is  to  sup  like  this  day  by  day,  there 
will  be  poor  cheer  for  the  rest  of  us  ! "  And 
to  crown  it  all,  Thor  was  thirsty,  as  well  he 
might  be;  and  one  after  another  he  raised 
to  his  lips  and  emptied  three  great  barrels 
of  mead,  the  foamy  drink  of  the  giants. 
Then  indeed  Thrym  was  amazed,  for  Thor's 
giant  appetite  had  beaten  that  of  the  giants 
themselves. 


128  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

"Never  before  saw  I  a  bride  so  hungry," 
he  cried,  "and  never  before  one  half  so 
thirsty ! " 

But  Loki,  the  waiting-maid,  whispered 
to  him  softly,  "  The  truth  is,  great  Thrym, 
that  my  dear  mistress  was  almost  starved. 
For  eight  days  Freia  has  eaten  nothing  at 
all,  so  eager  was  she  for  Jotunheim." 

Then  Thrym  was  delighted,  you  may  be 
sure.  He  forgave  his  hungry  bride,  and 
loved  her  with  all  his  heart.  He  leaned  for- 
ward to  give  her  a  kiss,  raising  a  corner  of 
her  veil ;  but  his  hand  dropped  suddenly, 
and  he  started  up  in  terror,  for  he  had  caught 
the  angry  flash  of  Thor's  eye,  which  was 
glaring  at  him  through  the  bridal  veil. 
Thor  was  longing  for  his  hammer. 

"  Why  has  Freia  so  sharp  a  look  ? " 
Thrym  cried.  "  It  pierces  like  lightning 
and  burns  like  fire." 

But  again  the  sly  waiting-maid  whispered 
timidly,  "  Oh,  Thrym,  be  not  amazed !  The 
truth  is,  my  poor  mistress's  eyes  are  red  with 
wakefulness  and  bright  with  longing.  For 
eight  nights  Freia  has  not  known  a  wink  of 
sleep,  so  eager  was  she  for  Jotunheim." 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  129 

Then  again  Thrym  was  doubly  delighted, 
and  he  longed  to  call  her  his  very  own 
dear  wife.  "  Bring  in  the  wedding  gift ! " 
he  cried.  "Bring  in  Thor's  hammer,  Miol- 
nir,  and  give  it  to  Freia,  as  I  promised;  for 
when  I  have  kept  my  word  she  will  be 
mine,  —  all  mine  ! " 

Then  Thor's  big  heart  laughed  under  his 
woman's  dress,  and  his  fierce  eyes  swept 
eagerly  down  the  hall  to  meet  the  servant 
who  was  bringing  in  the  hammer  on  a  vel- 
vet cushion.  Thor's  fingers  could  hardly 
wait  to  clutch  the  stubby  handle  which 
they  knew  so  well;  but  he  sat  quite  still 
on  the  throne  beside  ugly  old  Thrym,  with 
his  hands  meekly  folded  and  his  head  bowed 
like  a  bashful  bride. 

The  giant  servant  drew  nearer,  nearer, 
puffing  and  blowing,  strong  though  he  was, 
beneath  the  mighty  weight.  He  was  about 
to  lay  it  at  Thor's  feet  (for  he  thought  it 
so  heavy  that  no  maiden  could  lift  it  or 
hold  it  in  her  lap),  when  suddenly  Thor's 
heart  swelled,  and  he  gave  a  most  un- 
maidenly  shout  of  rage  and  triumph.  With 
one  swoop  he  grasped  the  hammer  in  his 


ijo  THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER 

iron  fingers;  with  the  other  arm  he  tore  off 
the  veil  that  hid  his  terrible  face,  and  tram- 
pled it  under  foot;  then  he  turned  to  the 
frightened  king,  who  cowered  beside  him 
on  the  throne. 

"  Thief !  "  he  cried.  "  Freia  sends  you 
this  as  a  wedding  gift ! "  And  he  whirled 
the  hammer  about  his  head,  then  hurled  it 
once,  twice,  thrice,  as  it  rebounded  to  his 
hand;  and  in  the  first  stroke,  as  of  light- 
ning, Thrym  rolled  dead  from  his  throne ; 
in  the  second  stroke  perished  the  whole 
giant  household,  —  these  ugly  enemies  of 
the  JEsir ;  and  in  the  third  stroke  the  pal- 
ace itself  tumbled  together  and  fell  to  the 
ground  like  a  toppling  play-house  of  blocks. 

But  Loki  and  Thor  stood  safely  among 
the  ruins,  dressed  in  their  tattered  maiden 
robes,  a  quaint  and  curious  sight ;  and 
Loki,  full  of  mischief  now  as  ever,  burst 
out  laughing. 

"  Oh,  Thor !  if  you  could  see  "  —  he  be- 
gan ;  but  Thor  held  up  his  hammer  and 
shook  it  gently  as  he  said,  — 

"  Look  now,  Loki :  it  was  an  excellent 
joke,  and  so  far  you  have  done  well,  — 


THE  QUEST  OF  THE  HAMMER  131 

after  your  crafty  fashion,  which  likes  me 
not.  But  now  I  have  my  hammer  again, 
and  the  joke  is  done.  From  you,  nor  from 
another,  I  brook  no  laughter  at  my  expense. 
Henceforth  we  will  have  no  mention  of 
this  masquerade,  nor  of  these  rags  which 
now  I  throw  away.  Do  you  hear,  red 
laugher  <?  " 

And  Loki  heard,  with  a  look  of  hate,  and 
stifled  his  laughter  as  best  he  could ;  for  it  is 
not  good  to  laugh  at  him  who  holds  the 
hammer. 

Not  once  after  that  was  there  mention 
in  Asgard  of  the  time  when  Thor  dressed 
him  as  a  girl  and  won  his  bridal  gift  from 
Thrym  the  giant. 

But  Miolnir  was  safe  once  more  in  As- 
gard, and  you  and  I  know  how  it  came 
there ;  so  some  one  must  have  told.  I  won* 
der  if  red  Loki  whispered  the  tale  to  some 
outsider,  after  all1?  Perhaps  it  may  be  so, 
for  now  he  knew  how  best  to  make  Thor 
angry ;  and  from  that  day  when  Thor  for- 
bade his  laughing,  Loki  hated  him  with  the 
mean  little  hatred  of  a  mean  little  soul. 


THE     GIANTESS    WHO 
WOULD    NOT  *   *   > 


OF  all  the  ^Esir  who  sat  in  the  twelve 
seats  about  Father  Odin's  wonder- 
throne  none  was  so  dear  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Midgard,  the  world  of  men,  as  Frey. 
For  Frey,  the  twin  brother  of  Freia  the  fair, 
was  the  god  who  sent  sunshine  and  rain  upon 
the  earth  that  men's  crops  might  grow  and 
ripen,  and  the  fruits  become  sweet  and  mel- 
low. He  gave  men  cattle,  and  showed  them 
how  to  till  the  fields;  and  it  was  he  who 
spread  peace  and  prosperity  over  the  world. 
For  he  was  lord  of  the  Light-Elves,  the  spirits 
of  the  upper  air,  who  were  more  beautiful  than 
the  sun.  And  these  were  his  servants  whom 
he  sent  to  answer  the  prayers  of  the  men 
who  loved  him.  Frey  was  more  beautiful,  too, 
than  any  of  the  JEsir  except  young  Balder. 
This  was  another  reason  why  he  was  so  be- 
loved by  all.  But  there  came  a  time  when 
Frey  found  some  one  who  would  not  love 
him  ;  and  that  was  a  new  experience  for  him, 
a  punishment  for  the  only  wrong  he  ever 
committed. 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    133 

You  remember  that  Father  Odin  had  a 
wonderful  throne  in  the  silver-roofed  house, 
a  throne  whence  he  could  see  everything  that 
was  happening  in  all  the  world?  Well,  no 
one  was  allowed  to  sit  upon  this  throne  ex- 
cept All-Father  himself,  for  he  would  not 
have  the  others  spying  into  affairs  which 
only  the  King  of  Asgard  was  wise  enough  to 
understand.  But  one  day,  when  Odin  was 
away  from  home,  Frey  had  such  a  longing 
to  climb  up  where  he  might  gaze  upon  all 
the  world  which  he  loved,  that  he  could  not 
resist  the  temptation.  He  stole  up  to  the 
great  throne  when  no  one  was  looking,  and 
mounting  the  steps,  seated  himself  upon  All- 
Father's  wonder-seat. 

Oh,  marvelous,  grand,  and  beautiful!  He 
looked  off  into  the  heavens,  and  there  he  saw 
all  the  ^Esir  busy  about  their  daily  work. 
He  looked  above,  into  the  shining  realm  of 
clear  air.  And  there  he  saw  his  messengers, 
the  pretty  little  Light-Elves,  flying  about 
upon  their  errands  of  help  for  men.  Some 
were  carrying  seeds  for  the  farmers  to  plant. 
Some  were  watering  the  fields  with  their 
little  water-pots,  making  the  summer  showers. 


i34    GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

Some  were  pinching  the  cheeks  of  the  apples 
to  make  them  red,  and  others  were  reeling 
silk  for  the  corn-tassels.  Then  Frey  looked 
down  upon  the  earth,  where  men  were  scur- 
rying around  like  little  ants,  improving  the 
blessings  which  his  servants  were  sending, 
and  often  stopping  their  work  to  give  thanks 
to  their  beloved  Frey.  And  this  made  his 
kind  heart  glad. 

Next  he  turned  his  gaze  down  into  the 
depths  of  the  blue  ocean  which  flowed  about 
Midgard  like  a  great  river.  And  down  in 
the  sea-caves  he  saw  the  mermaids  playing, 
Queen  Ran  and  her  daughters  the  white- 
capped  Waves,  with  their  nets  ready  to  catch 
the  sailors  who  might  be  drowned  at  sea. 
And  he  saw  King  CEgir,  among  the  whales 
and  dolphins,  with  all  the  myriad  wondrous 
creatures  who  lived  in  his  watery  empire. 
But  Frey's  father,  old  Niord,  lord  of  the 
ocean  wind,  would  have  been  more  interested 
than  he  in  such  a  sight. 

Last  of  all  Frey  bent  his  eyes  upon  me  far, 
cold  land  of  Jotunheim,  beyond  the  ocean, 
where  the  giants  lived ;  and  as  he  did  so,  a 
beam  of  brightness  dazzled  him.  He  rubbed 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    135 

his  eyes  and  looked  again;  and  lo!  the 
flash  was  from  the  bright  arms  of  a  beauti- 
ful maiden,  who  was  passing  from  her  father's 
hall  to  her  own  little  bower.  When  she 
raised  her  arms  to  open  the  door,  the  air 
and  water  reflected  their  brightness  so  that 
the  whole  world  was  flooded  with  light,  and 
one  shaft  shot  straight  into  the  heart  of  Frey, 
making  him  love  her  and  long  for  her  more 
than  for  anything  he  had  ever  seen.  But  be- 
cause he  knew  that  she  must  be  a  giant's 
daughter,  how  could  he  win  her  for  his  bride  ? 
Frey  descended  from  Odin's  throne  very 
sadly,  very  hopelessly,  and  went  home  with 
a  heavy  heart  which  would  let  him  neither 
eat  nor  sleep.  This  was  the  penalty  which 
came  for  his  disobedience  in  presuming  to  sit 
upon  Odin's  sacred  throne. 

For  hours  no  one  dared  speak  to  Frey,  he 
looked  so  gloomy  and  forbidding,  quite  un- 
like his  own  gay  self.  Niord  his  father  was 
greatly  worried,  and  knew  not  what  to  do;  at 
last  he  sent  for  Skirnir,  who  was  Frey's  favorite 
servant,  and  bade  him  find  out  what  was  the 
matter.  Skirnir  therefore  went  to  his  master, 
whom  he  found  sitting  all  alone  in  his  great 


136    GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

hall,  looking  as  if  there  were  no  more  joy  for 
him. 

"What  ails  you,  master*?"  asked  Skirnir. 
"  From  the  beginning  of  time  when  we  were 
very  young  we  two  have  lived  together,  and 
I  have  served  you  with  loving  care.  You 
ought,  then,  to  have  confidence  in  me  and 
tell  me  all  your  troubles." 

"Ah,  Skirnir,  my  faithful  friend,"  sighed 
Frey,  "  how  shall  I  tell  you  my  sorrow  ?  The 
sun  shines  every  day,  but  no  longer  brings 
light  to  my  sad  heart.  And  all  because  I  saw 
more  than  was  good  for  me ! " 

So  then  he  told  Skirnir  all  the  matter : 
how  he  had  stolen  into  Odin's  seat,  and  what 
he  had  seen  from  there;  how  he  loved  a 
giant's  daughter  whose  arms  were  more  bright 
than  silver  moonbeams. 

"  Oh,  Skirnir,  I  love  her  very  dearly,"  he 
cried;  "but  because  our  races  are  enemies  she 
would  never  marry  me,  I  know,  even  if  her 
father  would  allow  it.  Therefore  is  it  that  I 
am  so  sad." 

But  Skirnir  did  not  seem  to  think  the  case 
so  hopeless.  "  Give  me  but  your  swift  horse," 
he  said,  "which  can  bear  me  even  through 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    137 

flames  of  fire  and  thick  smoke ;  give  me  also 
your  magic  wand  and  your  sword,  which 
if  he  be  brave  who  carries  it,  will  smite  by 
itself  any  giant  who  comes  in  its  way,  — 
and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do  for  you." 

Then  Skirnir  rode  forth  upon  his  dangerous 
errand ;  for  a  visit  to  Giant  Land  was  ever  a 
perilous  undertaking,  as  you  may  well  ima- 
gine. As  Skirnir  rode,  he  patted  his  good 
horse's  neck  and  said  to  him,  "  Dark  it  is, 
friend,  and  we  have  to  go  over  frosty  moun- 
tains and  among  frosty  people  this  night. 
Bear  me  well,  good  horse ;  for  if  you  fail  me 
the  giants  will  catch  us  both,  and  neither  of 
us  will  return  to  bring  the  news  to  our  master 
Frey." 

After  a  long  night  of  hard  riding  over 
mountain  and  desolate  snowfield,  Skirnir 
came  to  that  part  of  Jotunheim  where  the 
giant  Gymir  dwelt.  This  was  the  father  of 
Gerd,  the  maiden  whom  Frey  had  seen  and 
loved.  But  first  he  had  to  ride  through  a 
hedge  of  flame,  which  the  horse  passed 
bravely.  Now  when  he  came  to  the  house  of 
Gymir,  he  found  a  pack  of  fierce  dogs  chained 
about  the  door  to  keep  strangers  away. 


138    GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

"  H'm ! "  thought  Skirnir,  "  I  like  this  little 
indeed.  I  must  find  out  whether  there  be  not 
some  other  entrance."  So  he  looked  around, 
and  soon  he  saw  a  herdsman  sitting  on  a 
little  hill,  tending  his  cattle.  Skirnir  rode  up 
to  him. 

"  Ho,  friend,"  he  cried.  "  Tell  me,  how 
am  I  to  pass  these  growling  curs  so  that  I 
may  speak  with  the  young  maiden  who 
dwells  in  this  house  *?  " 

"Are  you  mad,  or  are  you  a  spirit  who  is 
not  afraid  of  death ! "  exclaimed  the  herds- 
man. "  Know  you  not  that  you  can  never 
enter  there  ?  That  is  Gymir's  dwelling,  and 
he  lets  no  one  speak  with  his  fair  and  good 
daughter." 

"  If  I  choose  to  die,  you  need  not  weep  for 
me,"  quoth  Skirnir  boldly.  "  But  I  do  not 
think  that  I  am  yet  to  die.  The  Norn- 
maidens  spun  my  fate  centuries  ago,  and  they 
only  can  tell  what  is  to  be."  Now  Skirnir's 
voice  was  loud  and  the  hoof-beats  of  his 
horse  were  mighty.  For  this  was  one  of  the 
magic  steeds  of  Asgard,  used  to  bearing  Frey 
himself  on  his  broad  back.  And  not  without 
much  noise  had  all  these  things  been  said  and 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    139 

;jone.  From  her  room  in  Gymir's  mansion 
Gerd  heard  the  stranger's  voice,  and  to  her 
waiting-maid  she  said,  "  What  are  these 
sounds  that  I  hear  ?  The  earth  is  trembling 
and  all  the  house  shakes." 

Then  the  servant  ran  to  look  out  of  the 
window,  and  in  a  minute  she  popped  in  her 
head,  crying,  "  Here  is  a  mighty  stranger 
who  has  dismounted  from  his  horse  and  leads 
him  by  the  bridle  to  crop  the  grass." 

Gerd  was  curious  to  see  who  this  stranger 
might  be ;  for  her  father  kept  her  close  and 
she  saw  few  visitors. 

"  Bid  him  enter  our  hall,"  she  said,  "  and 
give  him  a  horn  of  bright  mead  to  drink. 
I  will  see  him,  though  I  fear  it  is  the  slayer 
of  my  brother."  For  Gerd  was  the  sister 
of  Thiasse  whom  Thor  slew. 

So  Skirnir  came  into  the  hall,  and  Gerd 
received  him  coldly.  "  Who  are  you  *?  "  she 
asked.  "  Which  of  the  wise  ^Esir  are  you  ^ 
For  I  know  that  only  one  of  the  mighty  ones 
from  Asgard  would  have  the  courage  and 
the  power  to  pass  through  the  raging  flames 
that  surround  my  father's  land." 

"  I  come  from  Frey,  O  maiden,"  said  Skir- 


140    GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

nir,  "  from  Frey,  whom  all  folk  love.  I  come 
to  beg  that  you  also  will  love  him  and  con- 
sent to  be  his  wife.  For  Frey  has  seen  your 
beauty,  and  you  are  very  dear  to  him." 

Gerd  laughed  carelessly.  "  I  have  heard 
of  your  fair  Frey,"  she  said,  "  and  how  he  is 
more  dear  to  all  than  sunshine  and  the  sweet 
smell  of  flowers.  But  he  is  not  dear  to  me.  I 
do  not  wish  the  love  of  Frey,  nor  any  of  that 
race  of  giant-killers.  Tell  him  that  I  will  not 
be  his  bride." 

"  Stay,  be  not  so  hasty,"  urged  Skirnir. 
"  We  have  more  words  to  exchange  before  I 
start  for  home.  Look,  I  will  give  you  eleven 
golden  apples  from  Asgard's  magic  tree  if 
you  will  go  with  me  to  Frey's  dwelling." 

Gerd  would  hear  nothing  of  the  golden 
apples.  Then  Skirnir  promised  her  the 
golden  ring,  Draupnir,  which  the  dwarfs  had 
made  for  Odin,  out  of  which  every  ninth 
night  dropped  eight  other  rings  as  large  and 
bright.  But  neither  would  Gerd  listen  to 
word  of  this  generous  gift.  "  I  have  gold 
enough  in  my  father's  house,"  she  said  dis- 
dainfully. "With  such  trifles  you  cannot 
tempt  me  to  marry  your  Frey." 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    141 

Then  Skirnir  was  very  angry,  and  he  began 
to  storm  and  threaten.  "I  will  strike  you 
with  the  bright  sword  which  I  hold  in  my 
hand ! "  he  cried.  "  It  is  Frey's  magic  sword, 
under  which  even  that  stout  old  giant  your 
father  must  sink  if  he  comes  within  its  reach." 
But  again  Gerd  laughed,  though  with  less 
mirth  in  her  laughter.  "  I  will  tame  you  with 
Frey's  magic  wand ! "  he  threatened,  "  the 
wand  with  which  he  rules  the  Light-Elves, 
and  changes  folk  into  strange  shapes.  You 
shall  vanish  from  the  sight  of  men,  and  pass 
your  life  on  the  eagle's  mount  far  above  the 
sky,  where  you  shall  sit  all  day,  too  sad  to 
eat.  And  when  you  come  thence,  after  count- 
less ages,  you  will  be  a  hideous  monster  at 
which  all  creatures  will  stare  in  mockery  and 
scorn." 

These  were  dreadful  words,  and  Gerd  no 
longer  laughed  when  she  heard  them.  But 
she  was  obstinate.  "I  do  not  love  Frey," 
she  said,  "  and  I  will  not  be  his  bride." 

Then  Skirnir  was  angry  indeed,  and  his 
fury  blazed  out  in  threats  most  horrible.  "  If 
you  will  not  marry  my  dear  master,"  he  cried, 
"you  shall  be  the  most  unhappy  girl  thaf 


142    GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

ever  lived.  You  shall  cry  all  day  long  and 
never  see  joy  again.  You  shall  marry  a 
hideous  old  three-headed  giant,  and  from  day 
to  day  you  shall  ever  be  in  terror  of  some 
still  more  dreadful  fate  to  come !  " 

Now  Gerd  began  to  tremble,  for  she 
saw  that  Frey's  servant  meant  every  word 
that  he  spoke.  But  she  was  not  ready  to 
yield.  "  Go  back  to  the  land  of  Elves,"  she 
taunted ;  "  I  will  not  be  their  Queen  at  any 
cost." 

Now  Skirnir  grasped  the  magic  wand,  and 
waving  it  over  her,  spoke  his  last  words  of 
threat  and  anger.  "  The  gods  are  angry  with 
you,  evil  maiden ! "  he  cried.  "  Odin  sees 
your  obstinacy  from  his  throne,  and  will 
punish  you  for  your  cruelty  to  kind  Frey. 
Frey  himself,  instead  of  loving,  will  shun  you 
when  the  gods  arm  themselves  to  destroy 
you  and  all  your  race.  Listen,  Giants,  Dwarfs, 
Light-Elves,  Men,  and  all  friends  of  the^Esir! 
I  forbid  any  one  to  have  aught  to  do  with 
this  wicked  girl,  —  only  the  old  giant  who 
shall  carry  her  to  his  gloomy  castle,  barred 
and  bolted  and  grated  across.  Misery,  pain, 
and  madness  —  this,  Gerd,  is  the  fate  which 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    143 

I  wave  over  you  with  my  wand,  unless 
speedily  you  repent  and  do  my  will." 

Poor  Gerd  gasped  and  trembled  under  this 
dreadful  doom.  Her  willfulness  was  quite 
broken,  and  now  she  sought  only  to  make 
Skirnir  unsay  the  words  of  horror.  "  Hold ! " 
she  cried ;  "  be  welcome,  youth,  in  the  name 
of  your  powerful  master,  Frey.  I  cannot  af- 
ford to  be  enemy  of  such  as  he.  Drink  this 
icy  cup  of  welcome  filled  with  the  giant's 
mead,  and  take  with  it  my  consent  to  be  the 
bride  of  Frey.  But  alas !  I  never  thought  to 
be  a  friend  to  one  of  Asgard's  race." 

"  You  shall  never  repent,  fair  Gerd,"  said 
Skirnir  gently.  For  now  that  he  had  won 
his  will,  he  was  all  smiles  and  friendliness. 
"And  when  you  see  my  dear  master,  you 
will  be  glad  indeed  that  you  did  not  insist 
upon  wedding  the  old  three-headed  giant. 
For  Frey  is  fair,  —  ay,  as  fair  as  are  you 
yourself.  And  that  is  saying  much,  sweet 
lady." 

So  Gerd  promised  that  in  nine  days  she 
would  come  to  be  the  bride  of  Frey.  And 
the  more  she  thought  it  over,  the  less  unplea* 
sant  seemed  the  idea.  So  that  before  the  time 


144   GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT 

was  passed,  she  was  almost  as  eager  as  Frey 
for  their  happy  meeting;  not  quite  so  eager, 
for  you  must  remember  that  she  had  not  yet 
seen  him  and  knew  not  all  his  glory,  while 
he  knew  what  it  was  to  long  and  long  for 
what  he  had  once  seen. 

Indeed,  when  Skirnir  galloped  back  to 
Frey  as  fast  as  the  good  horse  could  take  him, 
still  Frey  chided  him  for  being  slow.  And 
when  the  faithful  fellow  told  the  good  news 
of  the  bride  who  was  to  be  his  master's  in 
nine  short  days,  still  Frey  frowned  and  grum- 
bled impatiently. 

"  How  can  I  wait  to  see  her  ?  "  he  cried. 
"  One  day  is  long;  two  days  are  a  century; 
nine  days  seem  forever.  Oh,  Skirnir,  could 
you  not  have  done  better  than  that  for  your 
dear  master  ?  " 

But  Skirnir  forgave  Frey  for  his  impa- 
tience, for  he  knew  that  thenceforward  his 
master  would  love  all  the  better  him  who 
had  done  so  nobly  to  win  the  beloved  bride. 

When  Gerd  married  Frey  and  went  with 
him  to  live  in  Elf  Land,  where  he  and  she 
were  king  and  queen,  they  were  the  hap- 
piest folk  that  the  world  ever  saw.  And 


GIANTESS  WHO  WOULD  NOT    145 

G-erd  was  as  grateful  to  Skirnir  as  Frey  him- 
self. For  she  could  not  help  thinking  of  that 
dreadful  old  three-headed  giant  whom  but 
for  him  she  might  have  married,  instead  of 
her  beautiful,  kind  Frey. 

So  you  see  that  sometimes  one  is  happier 
in  the  end  if  she  is  not  allowed  to  have  her 
own  way. 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE 
GIANTS  £  *  *  *  t  *  * 

NOWADAYS,  since  their  journey 
to  get  the  stolen  hammer,  Thor 
and  Loki  were  good  friends,  for 
Loki  seemed  to  have  turned  over  a  new 
leaf  and  to  be  a  very  decent  sort  of  fel- 
low ;  but  really  he  was  the  same  sly  rascal 
at  heart,  only  biding  his  time  for  mischief. 
However,  in  this  tale  he  behaves  well 
enough. 

It  was  a  long  time  since  Thor  had  slain 
any  giants,  and  he  was  growing  restless  for 
an  adventure.  "Come,  Loki,"  he  said  one 
day,  "let  us  fare  forth  to  Giant  Land  and 
see  what  news  there  is  among  the  Big 
Folk." 

Loki  laughed,  saying,  "Let  us  go,  Thor. 
I  know  I  am  safe  with  you ; "  which  was 
a  piece  of  flattery  that  happened  to  be 
true. 

So  they  mounted  the  goat  chariot  as 
they  had  done  so  many  times  before  and 
rumbled  away  out  of  Asgard.  All  day  they 
rode ;  and  when  evening  came  they  stopped 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  147 

at  a  little  house  on  the  edge  of  a  forest, 
where  lived  a  poor  peasant  with  his  wife, 
his  son,  and  daughter. 

"  May  we  rest  here  for  the  night,  friend  ?  " 
asked  Thor ;  and  noting  their  poverty,  he 
added,  "We  bring  our  own  supper,  and 
ask  but  a  bed  to  sleep  in."  So  the  peasant 
was  glad  to  have  them  stay.  Then  Thor, 
who  knew  what  he  was  about,  killed  and 
cooked  his  two  goats,  and  invited  the  fam- 
ily of  peasants  to  sup  with  him  and  Loki ; 
but  when  the  meal  was  ended,  he  bade  them 
carefully  save  all  the  bones  and  throw  them 
into  the  goatskins  which  he  had  laid  be- 
side the  hearth.  Then  Thor  and  Loki  lay 
down  to  sleep. 

In  the  morning,  very  early,  before  the 
rest  were  awake,  Thor  rose,  and  taking  his 
hammer,  Miolnir,  went  into  the  kitchen, 
where  were  the  remains  of  his  faithful  goats. 
Now  the  magic  hammer  was  skillful,  not 
only  to  slay,  but  to  restore,  when  Thor's 
hand  wielded  it.  He  touched  with  it  the 
two  heaps  of  skin  and  bones,  and  lo !  up 
sprang  the  goats,  alive  and  well,  and  as 
good  as  new.  No,  not  quite  as  good  as 


148  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

new.  What  was  this  ?  Thor  roared  with 
anger,  for  one  of  the  goats  was  lame  in  one 
of  his  legs,  and  limped  sorely.  "  Some  one 
has  meddled  with  the  bones ! "  he  cried. 
"Who  has  touched  the  bones  that  I  bade 
be  kept  so  carefully  ?  " 

Thialfi,  the  peasant's  son,  had  broken  one 
of  the  thigh-bones  in  order  to  get  at  the 
sweet  marrow,  and  this  Thor  soon  discov- 
ered by  the  lad's  guilty  face ;  then  Thor  was 
angry  indeed.  His  knuckles  grew  white  as 
he  clenched  the  handle  of  Miolnir,  ready 
to  hurl  it  and  destroy  the  whole  unlucky 
house  and  family;  but  the  peasant  and  the 
other  three  fell  upon  their  knees,  trembling 
with  fear,  and  begged  him  to  spare  them. 
They  offered  him  all  that  they  owned,  — 
they  offered  even  to  become  his  slaves,  — 
if  he  would  but  spare  their  wretched  lives. 

They  looked  so  miserable  that  Thor  was 
sorry  for  them,  and  resolved  at  last  to  pun- 
ish them  only  by  taking  away  Thialfi,  the 
son,  and  Roskva,  the  daughter,  thenceforth 
to  be  his  servants.  And  this  was  not  so  bad 
a  bargain  for  Thor,  for  Thialfi  was  the  swift- 
est of  foot  of  any  man  in  the  whole  world. 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  149 

So  he  left  the  goats  behind,  and  fared 
forth  with  his  three  attendants  straight  to- 
wards the  east  and  Jotunheim.  Thialfi  car- 
ried Thor's  wallet  with  their  scanty  store 
of  food.  They  crossed  the  sea  and  came  at 
last  to  a  great  forest,  through  which  they 
tramped  all  day,  until  once  more  it  was 
night ;  and  now  they  must  find  a  place  in 
which  all  could  sleep  safely  until  morning. 
They  wandered  about  here  and  there,  look- 
ing for  some  sign  of  a  dwelling,  and  at 
last  they  came  to  a  big,  queer-shaped  house. 
Very  queer  indeed  it  was ;  for  the  door  at 
one  end  was  as  broad  as  the  house  itself! 
They  entered,  and  lay  down  to  sleep ;  but 
at  midnight  Thor  was  wakened  by  a  terri- 
ble noise.  The  ground  shook  under  them 
like  an  earthquake,  and  the  house  trembled 
as  if  it  would  fall  to  pieces.  Thor  arose 
and  called  to  his  companions  that  there  was 
danger  about,  and  that  they  must  be  on 
guard.  Groping  in  the  dark,  they  found  a 
long,  narrow  chamber  on  the  right,  where 
Loki  and  the  two  peasants  hid  trembling, 
while  Thor  guarded  the  doorway,  hammer 
in  hand.  All  night  long  the  terrible  noises 


150  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

continued,  and  Thor's  attendants  were  fright- 
ened almost  to  death ;  but  early  in  the  morn- 
ing Thor  stole  forth  to  find  out  what  it  all 
meant.  And  lo !  close  at  hand  in  the  for- 
est lay  an  enormous  giant,  sound  asleep 
and  snoring  loudly.  Then  Thor  understood 
whence  all  their  night's  terror  had  pro- 
ceeded, for  the  giant  was  so  huge  that  his 
snoring  shook  even  the  trees  of  the  forest, 
and  made  the  mountains  tremble.  So  much 
the  better !  Here  at  last  was  a  giant  for 
Thor  to  tackle.  He  buckled  his  belt  of 
power  more  tightly  to  increase  his  strength, 
and  laid  hold  of  Miolnir  to  hurl  it  at  the 
giant's  forehead ;  but  just  at  that  moment 
the  giant  waked,  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  and 
stood  staring  mildly  at  Thor.  He  did  not 
seem  a  fierce  giant,  so  Thor  did  not  kill 
him  at  once.  "  Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  Thor 
sturdily. 

"I  am  the  giant  Skrymir,  little  fellow," 
answered  the  stranger,  "  and  well  I  know 
who  you  are,  Thor  of  Asgard.  But  what 
have  you  been  doing  with  my  glove  ?  " 

Then  the  giant  stooped  and  picked  up  — 
what  do  you  think?  —  the  queer  house  in 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  151 

which  Thor  and  his  three  companions  had 
spent  the  night !  Loki  and  the  two  others 
had  run  out  of  their  chamber  in  affright 
when  they  felt  it  lifted ;  and  their  chamber 
was  the  thumb  of  the  giant's  glove.  That 
was  a  giant  indeed,  and  Thor  felt  sure  that 
they  must  be  well  upon  their  way  to  Giant 
Land. 

When  Skrymir  learned  where  they  were 
going,  he  asked  if  he  might  not  wend  with 
them,  and  Thor  said  that  he  was  willing. 
Now  Skrymir  untied  his  wallet  and  sat 
down  under  a  tree  to  eat  his  breakfast,  while 
Thor  and  his  party  chose  another  place,  not 
far  away,  for  their  picnic.  When  all  had 
finished,  the  giant  said,  "Let  us  put  our 
provisions  together  in  one  bag,  my  friends, 
and  I  will  carry  it  for  you."  This  seemed 
fair  enough,  for  Thor  had  so  little  food  left 
that  he  was  not  afraid  to  risk  losing  it ;  so 
he  agreed,  and  Skrymir  tied  all  the  pro- 
visions in  his  bag  and  strode  on  before  them 
with  enormous  strides,  so  fast  that  even  Thi- 
alfi  could  scarcely  keep  up  with  him. 

The  day  passed,  and  late  in  the  evening 
Skrymir  halted  under  a  great  oak-tree,  say- 


152  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

ing,  "Let  us  rest  here.  I  must  have  a  nap, 
and  you  must  have  your  dinner.  Here  is 
the  wallet,  —  open  it  and  help  yourselves." 
Then  he  lay  down  on  the  moss,  and  was 
soon  snoring  lustily. 

Thor  tried  to  open  the  wallet,  in  vain ; 
he  could  not  loosen  a  single  knot  of  the 
huge  thongs  that  fastened  it.  He  strained 
and  tugged,  growing  angrier  and  redder 
after  every  useless  attempt.  This  was  too 
much;  the  giant  was  making  him  appear 
absurd  before  his  servants.  He  seized  his 
hammer,  and  bracing  his  feet  with  all  his 
might,  struck  Skrymir  a  blow  on  his  head. 
Skrymir  stirred  lazily,  yawned,  opened  one 
eye,  and  asked  whether  a  leaf  had  fallen  on 
his  forehead,  and  whether  his  companions 
had  dined  yet.  Thor  bit  his  lip  with  vex- 
ation, but  he  answered  that  they  were  ready 
for  bed ;  so  he  and  his  three  followers  retired 
to  rest  under  another  oak. 

But  Thor  did  not  sleep  that  night.  He 
lay  thinking  how  he  had  been  put  to  shame, 
and  how  Loki  had  snickered  at  the  sight  of 
Thor's  vain  struggles  with  the  giant's  wal- 
let, and  he  resolved  that  it  should  not  hap- 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  153 

pen  again.  At  about  midnight,  once  more  he 
heard  the  giant's  snore  resounding  like  thun- 
der through  the  forest.  Thor  arose,  clench- 
ing Miolnir  tight,  and  stole  over  to  the  tree 
where  Skrymir  slept;  then  with  all  his  might 
he  hurled  the  hammer  and  struck  the  giant 
on  the  crown  of  his  head,  so  hard  that  the 
hammer  sank  deep  into  his  skull.  At  this 
the  giant  awoke  with  a  start,  exclaiming, 
"What  is  that"?  Did  an  acorn  fall  on  my 
head  ?  What  are  you  doing  there,  Thor  ?  " 

Thor  stepped  back  quickly,  answering 
that  he  had  waked  up,  but  that  it  was  only 
midnight,  so  they  might  all  sleep  some 
hours  longer.  "If  I  can  only  give  him  one 
more  blow  before  morning,"  he  thought, 
"he  will  never  see  daylight  again."  So  he 
lay  watching  until  Skrymir  had  fallen  asleep 
once  more,  which  was  near  daybreak;  then 
Thor  arose  as  before,  and  going  very  softly 
to  the  giant's  side,  smote  him  on  the  tem- 
ple so  sore  that  the  hammer  sank  into  his 
skull  up  to  the  very  handle.  "Surely,  he 
is  killed  now,"  thought  Thor. 

But  Skrymir  only  raised  himself  on  his 
elbow,  stroked  his  chin,  and  said,  "  There 


154  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

are  birds  above  me  in  the  tree.  Methinks 
that  just  now  a  feather  fell  upon  my  head. 
What,  Thor !  are  you  awake  ?  I  am  afraid 
you  slept  but  poorly  this  night.  Come,  now, 
it  is  high  time  to  rise  and  make  ready  for 
the  day.  You  are  not  far  from  our  giant 
city,  —  Utgard  we  call  it.  Aha  !  I  have 
heard  you  whispering  together.  You  think 
that  I  am  big  ;  but  you  will  see  fellows 
taller  still  when  you  come  to  Utgard.  And 
now  I  have  a  piece  of  advice  to  give  you. 
Do  not  pride  yourselves  overmuch  upon 
your  importance.  The  followers  of  Utgard's 
king  think  little  of  such  manikins  as  you, 
and  will  not  bear  any  nonsense,  I  assure 
you.  Be  advised  ;  return  homeward  before 
it  is  too  late.  If  you  will  go  on,  however, 
your  way  lies  there  to  the  eastward.  Yon- 
der is  my  path,  over  the  mountains  to  the 
north." 

So  saying,  Skrymir  hoisted  his  wallet 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  turning  back  upon 
the  path  that  led  into  the  forest,  left  them 
staring  after  him  and  hoping  that  they 
might  never  see  his  big  bulk  again. 

Thor  and  his  companions  journeyed  on 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  155 

until  noon,  when  they  saw  in  the  distance 
a  great  city,  on  a  lofty  plain.  As  they  came 
nearer,  they  found  the  buildings  so  high  that 
the  travelers  had  to  bend  back  their  necks 
in  order  to  see  the  tops.  "This  must  be 
Utgard,  the  giant  city,"  said  Thor.  And 
Utgard  indeed  it  was.  At  the  entrance  was 
a  great  barred  gate,  locked  so  that  no  one 
might  enter.  It  was  useless  to  try  to  force 
a  passage  in ;  even  Thor's  great  strength 
could  not  move  it  on  its  hinges.  But  it  was 
a  giant  gate,  and  the  bars  were  made  to 
keep  out  other  giants,  with  no  thought  of 
folk  so  small  as  these  who  now  were  bent 
upon  finding  entrance  by  one  way  or  an- 
other. It  was  not  dignified,  and  noble  Thor 
disliked  the  idea.  Yet  it  was  their  only  way : 
so  one  by  one  they  squeezed  and  wriggled 
between  the  bars,  until  they  stood  in  a  row 
inside.  In  front  of  them  was  a  wonderful 
great  hall  with  the  door  wide  open.  Thor 
and  the  three  entered,  and  found  themselves 
in  the  midst  of  a  company  of  giants,  the 
very  hugest  of  their  kind.  At  the  end  of 
the  hall  sat  the  king  upon  an  enormous 
throne.  Thor,  who  had  been  in  giant  com- 


156  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

panics  ere  now,  went  straight  up  to  the 
throne  and  greeted  the  king  with  civil 
words.  But  the  giant  merely  glanced  at 
him  with  a  disagreeable  smile,  and  said,  — 

"  It  is  wearying  to  ask  travelers  about 
their  journey.  Such  little  fellows  as  you 
four  can  scarcely  have  had  any  adventures 
worth  mentioning.  Stay,  now !  Do  I  guess 
aright  ?  Is  this  manikin  Thor  of  Asgard, 
or  no  ?  Ah,  no  !  I  have  heard  of  Thor's 
might.  You  cannot  really  be  he,  unless  you 
are  taller  than  you  seem,  and  stronger  too. 
Let  us  see  what  feats  you  and  your  com- 
panions can  perform  to  amuse  us.  No  one 
is  allowed  here  who  cannot  excel  others  in 
some  way  or  another.  What  can  you  do 
best?" 

At  this  word,  Loki,  who  had  entered  last, 
spoke  up  readily :  "  There  is  one  thing  that 
I  can  do,  —  I  can  eat  faster  than  any  man." 
For  Loki  was  famished  with  hunger,  and 
thought  he  saw  a  way  to  win  a  good  meal. 

Then  the  king  answered,  "Truly,  that 
is  a  noble  accomplishment  of  yours,  if  yoil 
can  prove  your  words  true.  Let  us  make 
the  test."  So  he  called  forth  from  among  his 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  157 

men  Logi,  —  whose  name  means  "  fire,"  — 
and  bade  him  match  his  powers  with  the 
stranger. 

Now  a  trough  full  of  meat  was  set  upon 
the  floor,  with  Loki  at  one  end  of  it  and 
the  giant  Logi  at  the  other.  Each  began  to 
gobble  the  meat  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  it 
was  not  a  pretty  sight  to  see  them.  Mid- 
way in  the  trough  they  met,  and  at  first  it 
would  seem  as  if  neither  had  beaten  the 
other.  Loki  had  indeed  done  wondrous  well 
in  eating  the  meat  from  the  bones  so  fast; 
but  Logi,  the  giant,  had  in  the  same  time 
eaten  not  only  meat  but  bones  also,  and  had 
swallowed  his  half  of  the  trough  into  the 
bargain.  Loki  was  vanquished  at  his  own 
game,  and  retired  looking  much  ashamed 
and  disgusted. 

The  king  then  pointed  at  Thialfi,  and 
asked  what  that  young  man  could  best  do. 
Thialfi  answered  that  of  all  men  he  was  the 
swiftest  runner,  and  that  he  was  not  afraid 
to  race  with  any  one  whom  the  king  might 
select. 

"That  is  a  goodly  craft,"  said  the  king 
smiling;  "but  you  must  be  a  swift  runnef 


158  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

indeed  if  you  can  win  a  race  from  my 
Hugi.  Let  us  go  to  the  racing-ground." 

They  followed  him  out  to  the  plain 
where  Hugi,  whose  name  means  "thought," 
was  ready  to  race  with  young  Thialfi.  In 
the  first  run  Hugi  came  in  so  far  ahead  that 
when  he  reached  the  goal  he  turned  about 
and  went  back  to  meet  Thialn.  "  You  must 
do  better  than  that,  Thialfi,  if  you  hope  to 
win,"  said  the  king,  laughing,  "though  I 
must  allow  that  no  one  ever  before  came 
here  who  could  run  so  fast  as  you." 

They  ran  a  second  race ;  and  this  time 
when  Hugi  reached  the  goal  there  was  a 
long  bow-shot  between  him  and  Thialfi. 

"  You  are  truly  a  good  runner,"  ex- 
claimed the  king.  "  I  doubt  not  that  no 
man  can  race  like  you  ;  but  you  cannot 
win  from  my  giant  lad,  I  think.  The  last 
time  shall  show."  Then  they  ran  for  the 
third  time,  and  Thialfi  put  forth  all  his 
strength,  speeding  like  the  wind ;  but  all 
his  skill  was  in  vain.  Hardly  had  he  reached 
the  middle  of  the  course  when  he  heard  the 
shouts  of  the  giants  announcing  that  Hugi 
had  won  the  goal.  Thialfi,  too,  was  beaten 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  159 

at  his  own  game,  and  he  withdrew,  as  Loki 
had  done,  shamefaced  and  sulky. 

There  remained  now  only  Thor  to  redeem 
the  honor  of  his  party,  for  Roskva  the  maiden 
was  useless  here.  Thor  had  watched  the  re- 
sult of  these  trials  with  surprise  and  anger, 
though  he  knew  it  was  no  fault  of  Loki  or 
of  Thialfi  that  they  had  been  worsted  by  the 
giants.  And  Thor  was  resolved  to  better 
even  his  own  former  great  deeds.  The  king 
called  to  Thor,  and  asked  him  what  he 
thought  he  could  best  do  to  prove  himself 
as  mighty  as  the  stories  told  of  him.  Thor 
answered  that  he  would  undertake  to  drink 
more  mead  than  any  one  of  the  king's  men. 
At  this  proposal  the  king  laughed  aloud,  as 
if  it  were  a  giant  joke.  He  summoned  his 
cup-bearer  to  fetch  his  horn  of  punishment, 
out  of  which  the  giants  were  wont  to  drink 
in  turn.  And  when  they  returned  to  the  hall, 
the  great  vessel  was  brought  to  the  king. 

"  When  any  one  empties  this  horn  at  one 
draught,  we  call  him  a  famous  drinker,"  said 
the  king.  "Some  of  my  men  empty  it  in 
two  trials;  but  no  one  is  so  poor  a  mani- 
kin that  he  cannot  empty  it  in  three.  Take 


160  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

the  horn,  Thor,  and  see  what  you  can  do 
with  it." 

Now  Thor  was  very  thirsty,  so  he  seized 
the  horn  eagerly.  It  did  not  seem  to  him 
so  very  large,  for  he  had  drunk  from  other 
mighty  vessels  ere  now.  But  indeed,  it  was 
deep.  He  raised  it  to  his  lips  and  took  a 
long  pull,  saying  to  himself,  "  There !  I  have 
emptied  it  already,  I  know."  Yet  when  he 
set  the  horn  down  to  see  how  well  he  had 
done,  he  found  that  he  seemed  scarcely  to 
have  drained  a  drop ;  the  horn  was  brimming 
as  before.  The  king  chuckled. 

"  Well,  you  have  drunk  but  little,"  he  said. 
"  I  would  never  have  believed  that  famous 
Thor  would  lower  the  horn  so  soon.  But 
doubtless  you  will  finish  all  at  a  second 
draught." 

Instead  of  answering,  Thor  raised  the  horn 
once  more  to  his  lips,  resolved  to  do  better 
than  before.  But  for  some  reason  the  tip  of 
the  horn  seemed  hard  to  raise,  and  when  he 
set  the  vessel  down  again  his  heart  sank,  for 
he  feared  that  he  had  drunk  even  less  than  at 
his  first  trial.  Yet  he  had  really  done  better, 
for  now  it  was  easy  to  carry  the  horn  with- 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  161 

out  spilling.  The  king  smiled  grimly.  "How 
now,  Thor !  "  he  cried.  "  You  have  left  too 
much  for  your  third  trial.  I  fear  you  will 
never  be  able  to  empty  the  little  horn  in 
three  draughts,  as  the  least  of  my  men  can  do. 
Ho,  ho !  You  will  not  be  thought  so  great 
a  hero  here  as  the  folk  deem  you  in  Asgard, 
if  you  cannot  play  some  other  game  more 
skillfully  than  you  do  this  one." 

At  this  speech  Thor  grew  very  angry. 
He  raised  the  horn  to  his  mouth  and  drank 
lustily,  as  long  as  he  was  able.  But  when  he 
looked  into  the  horn,  he  found  that  some 
drops  still  remained.  He  had  not  been  able 
to  empty  it  in  three  draughts.  Angrily  he 
flung  down  the  horn,  and  said  that  he  would 
have  no  more  of  it. 

"Ah,  Master  Thor,"  taunted  the  king, 
"  it  is  now  plain  that  you  are  not  so  mighty 
as  we  thought  you.  Are  you  inclined  to  try 
some  other  feats  *?  For  indeed,  you  are  easily 
beaten  at  this  one." 

"I  will  try  whatever  you  like,"  said  Thor; 
"but  your  horn  is  a  wondrous  one,  and 
among  the  ^Esir  such  a  draught  as  mine 
would  be  called  far  from  little.  Come,  now, 


1 62  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

—  what  game  do  you  next  propose,  O 
King?" 

The  king  thought  a  moment,  then  an- 
swered carelessly,  "  There  is  a  little  game 
with  which  my  youngsters  amuse  themselves, 
though  it  is  so  simple  as  to  be  almost  childish. 
It  is  merely  the  exercise  of  lifting  my  cat 
from  the  ground.  I  should  never  have  dared 
suggest  such  a  feat  as  this  to  you,  Thor  of 
Asgard,  had  I  not  seen  that  great  tasks  are 
beyond  your  skill.  It  may  be  that  you  will 
find  this  hard  enough."  So  he  spoke,  smiling 
slyly,  and  at  that  moment  there  came  stalk- 
ing into  the  hall  a  monstrous  gray  cat,  with 
eyes  of  yellow  fire. 

"Ho!  Is  this  the  creature  I  am  to  lift4?" 
queried  Thor.  And  when  they  said  that  it 
was,  he  seized  the  cat  around  its  gray,  huge 
body  and  tugged  with  all  his  might  to  lift  it 
from  the  floor.  Then  the  wretched  cat,  length- 
ening and  lengthening,  arched  its  back  like 
the  span  of  a  bridge ;  and  though  Thor  tugged 
and  heaved  his  best,  he  could  manage  to  lift 
but  one  of  its  huge  feet  off  the  floor.  The 
other  three  remained  as  firmly  planted  as  iron 
pillars. 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  163 

"  Oho,  oho ! "  laughed  the  king,  delighted 
at  this  sight.  "  It  is  just  as  I  thought  it  would 
be.  Poor  little  Thor !  My  cat  is  too  big  for 
him." 

"  Little  I  may  seem  in  this  land  of  mon- 
sters," cried  Thor  wrathfully,  "  but  now  let 
him  who  dares  come  hither  and  try  a  hug 
with  me." 

"  Nay,  little  Thor,"  said  the  king,  seeking 
to  make  him  yet  more  angry,  "  there  is  not 
one  of  my  men  who  would  wrestle  with  you. 
Why,  they  would  call  it  child's  play,  my 
little  fellow.  But,  for  the  joke  of  it,  call  in 
my  old  foster-mother,  Elli.  She  has  wrestled 
with  and  worsted  many  a  man  who  seemed 
no  weaker  than  you,  O  Thor,  She  shall  try 
a  fall  with  you." 

Now  in  came  the  old  crone,  Elli,  whose 
very  name  meant  "  age."  She  was  wrinkled 
and  gray,  and  her  back  was  bent  nearly 
double  with  the  weight  of  the  years  which 
she  carried,  but  she  chuckled  when  she  saw 
Thor  standing  with  bared  arm  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor.  "  Come  and  be  thrown,  dearie," 
she  cried  in  her  cracked  voice,  grinning 
horribly. 


1 64  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

"  I  will  not  wrestle  with  a  woman ! "  ex- 
claimed Thor,  eyeing  her  with  pity  and  dis- 
gust, for  she  was  an  ugly  creature  to  behold. 
But  the  old  woman  taunted  him  to  his  face 
and  the  giants  clapped  their  hands,  howling 
that  he  was  "  afraid."  So  there  was  no  way 
but  that  Thor  must  grapple  with  the  hag. 

The  game  began.  Thor  rushed  at  the  old 
woman  and  gripped  her  tightly  in  his  iron 
arms,  thinking  that  as  soon  as  she  screamed 
with  the  pain  of  his  mighty  hug,  he  would 
give  over.  But  the  crone  seemed  not  to  mind 
it  at  all.  Indeed,  the  more  he  crushed  her 
old  ribs  together  the  firmer  and  stronger  she 
stood.  Now  in  her  turn  the  witch  attempted 
to  trip  up  Thor's  heels,  and  it  was  wonderful 
to  see  her  power  and  agility.  Thor  soon 
began  to  totter,  great  Thor,  in  the  hands  of 
a  poor  old  woman !  He  struggled  hard,  he 
braced  himself,  he  turned  and  twisted.  It  was 
no  use ;  the  old  woman's  arms  were  as  strong 
as  knotted  oak.  In  a  few  moments  Thor 
sank  upon  one  knee,  and  that  was  a  sign  that 
he  was  beaten.  The  king  signaled  for  them 
to  stop.  "  You  need  wrestle  no  more,  Thor," 
he  said,  with  a  curl  to  his  lip,  "  we  see  what 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  165 

sort  of  fellow  you  are.  I  thought  that  old 
Elli  would  have  no  difficulty  in  bringing  to 
his  knees  him  who  could  not  lift  my  cat.  But 
come,  now,  night  is  almost  here.  We  will 
think  no  more  of  contests.  You  and  your 
companions  shall  sup  with  us  as  welcome 
guests  and  bide  here  till  the  morrow." 

Now  as  soon  as  the  king  had  pleased 
himself  in  proving  how  small  and  weak  were 
these  strangers  who  had  come  to  the  giant 
city,  he  became  very  gracious  and  kind.  But 
you  can  fancy  whether  or  no  Thor  and  the 
others  had  a  good  appetite  for  the  banquet 
where  all  the  giants  ate  so  merrily.  You  can 
fancy  whether  or  no  they  were  happy  when 
they  went  to  bed  after  the  day  of  defeats,  and 
you  can  guess  what  sweet  dreams  they  had. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak  the  four 
guests  arose  and  made  ready  to  steal  back  to 
Asgard  without  attracting  any  more  attention. 
For  this  adventure  alone  of  all  those  in  which 
Thor  had  taken  part  had  been  a  disgraceful 
failure.  Silently  and  with  bowed  heads  they 
were  slipping  away  from  the  hall  when  the 
king  himself  came  to  them  and  begged  them 
to  stay. 


1 66  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

"  You  shall  not  leave  Utgard  without 
breakfast,"  he  said  kindly,  "  nor  would  I  have 
you  depart  feeling  unfriendly  to  me." 

Then  he  ordered  a  goodly  breakfast  for  the 
travelers,  with  store  of  choicest  dainties  for 
them  to  eat  and  drink.  When  the  four  had 
broken  fast,  he  escorted  them  to  the  city  gate 
where  they  were  to  say  farewell.  But  at  the 
last  moment  he  turned  to  Thor  with  a  sly, 
strange  smile  and  asked,  — 

kt  Tell  me  now  truly,  brother  Thor  ;  what 
think  you  of  your  visit  to  the  giant  city  *? 
Do  you  feel  as  mighty  a  fellow  as  you  did 
before  you  entered  our  gates,  or  are  you  sat- 
isfied that  there  are  folk  even  sturdier  than 
yourself?  " 

At  this  question  Thor  flushed  scarlet,  and 
the  lightning  flashed  angrily  in  his  eye.  Briefly 
enough  he  answered  that  he  must  confess  to 
small  pride  in  his  last  adventure,  for  that  his 
visit  to  the  king  had  been  full  of  shame  to 
the  hero  of  Asgard.  "  My  name  will  become 
a  joke  among  your  people,"  quoth  he.  "  You 
will  call  me  Thor  the  puny  little  fellow, 
which  vexes  me  more  than  anything;  for  I 
have  not  been  wont  to  blush  at  my  name." 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  167 

Then  the  king  looked  at  him  frankly, 
pleased  with  the  humble  manner  of  Thor's 
speech.  "Nay,"  he  said  slowly,  "hang  not 
your  head  so  shamedly,  brave  Thor.  You 
have  not  done  so  ill  as  you  think.  Listen,  I 
have  somewhat  to  tell  you,  now  that  you  are 
outside  Utgard,  —  which,  if  I  live,  you  shall 
never  enter  again.  Indeed,  you  should  not 
have  entered  at  all  had  I  guessed  what  noble 
strength  was  really  yours,  —  strength  which 
very  nearly  brought  me  and  my  whole  city 
to  destruction." 

To  these  words  Thor  and  his  companions 
listened  with  open-mouthed  astonishment. 
What  could  the  king  mean,  they  wondered  *? 
The  giant  continued :  — 

"  By  magic  alone  were  you  beaten,  Thor. 
Of  magic  alone  were  my  triumphs,  —  not 
real,  but  seeming  to  be  so.  Do  you  remem- 
ber the  giant  Skrymir  whom  you  found 
sleeping  and  snoring  in  the  forest  ?  That 
was  I.  I  learned  your  errand  and  resolved  to 
lower  your  pride.  When  you  vainly  strove 
to  untie  my  wallet,  you  did  not  know  that  I 
had  fastened  it  with  invisible  iron  wire,  in 
order  that  you  might  be  baffled  by  the  knots. 


1 68  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

Thrice  you  struck  me  with  your  hammer, 
• —  ah  !  what  mighty  blows  were  those  !  The 
least  one  would  have  killed  me,  had  it  fallen 
on  my  head  as  you  deemed  it  did.  In  my 
hall  is  a  rock  with  three  square  hollows  in 
it,  one  of  them  deeper  than  the  others. 
These  are  the  dents  of  your  wondrous  ham- 
mer, my  Thor.  For,  while  you  thought  I 
slept,  I  slipped  the  rock  under  the  hammer- 
strokes,  and  into  this  hard  crust  Miolnir  bit. 
Ha,  ha !  It  was  a  pretty  jest." 

Now  Thor's  brow  was  growing  black  at 
this  tale  of  the  giant's  trickery,  but  at  the 
same  time  he  held  up  his  head  and  seemed 
less  ashamed  of  his  weakness,  knowing  now 
that  it  had  been  no  weakness,  but  lack  of 
guile.  He  listened  frowningly  for  the  rest 
of  the  tale.  The  king  went  on :  — 

"  When  you  came  to  my  city,  still  it  was 
magic  that  worsted  your  party  at  every  turn. 
Loki  was  certainly  the  hungriest  fellow  I 
ever  saw,  and  his  deeds  at  the  trencher  were 
marvelous  to  behold.  But  the  Logi  who  ate 
with  him  was  Fire,  and  easily  enough  fire  can 
consume  your  meat,  bones,  and  wood  itself. 
Thialfi,  my  boy,  you  are  a  runner  swift  as 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  169 

the  wind.  Never  before  saw  I  such  a  race 
as  yours.  But  the  Hugi  who  ran  with  you 
was  Thought,  my  thought.  And  who  can 
keep  pace  with  the  speed  of  winged  thought? 
Next,  Thor,  it  was  your  turn  to  show  your 
might.  Bravely  indeed  you  strove.  My  heart 
is  sick  with  envy  of  your  strength  and  skill. 
But  they  availed  you  naught  against  my 
magic.  When  you  drank  from  the  long  horn, 
thinking  you  had  done  so  ill,  in  truth  you 
had  performed  a  miracle,  —  never  thought  I 
to  behold  the  like.  You  guessed  not  that  the 
end  of  the  horn  was  out  in  the  ocean,  which 
no  one  might  drain  dry.  Yet,  mighty  one, 
the  draughts  you  swallowed  have  lowered  the 
tide  upon  the  shore.  Henceforth  at  certain 
times  the  sea  will  ebb ;  and  this  is  by  great 
Thor's  drinking.  The  cat  also  which  you 
almost  lifted,  —  it  was  no  cat,  but  the  great 
Midgard  serpent  himself  who  encircles  the 
whole  world.  He  had  barely  length  enough 
for  his  head  and  tail  to  touch  in  a  circle 
about  the  sea.  But  you  raised  him  so  high 
that  he  almost  touched  heaven.  How  terri- 
fied we  were  when  we  saw  you  heave  one  of 
his  mighty  feet  from  the  ground !  For  who 


170  THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS 

could  tell  what  horror  might  happen  had  you 
raised  him  bodily.  Ah,  and  your  wrestling 
with  old  Elli !  That  was  the  most  marvel- 
ous act  of  all.  You  had  nearly  overthrown 
Age  itself;  yet  there  has  never  lived  one, 
nor  will  such  ever  be  found,  whom  Elli,  old 
age,  will  not  cast  to  earth  at  last.  So  you 
were  beaten,  Thor,  but  by  a  mere  trick.  Ha, 
ha !  How  angry  you  looked,  —  I  shall  never 
forget !  But  now  we  must  part,  and  I  think 
you  see  that  it  will  be  best  for  both  of  us 
that  we  should  not  meet  again.  As  I  have 
done  once,  so  can  I  always  protect  my  city 
by  magic  spells.  Yes,  should  you  come 
again  to  visit  us,  even  better  prepared  than 
now,  yet  you  could  never  do  us  serious  harm. 
Yet  the  wear  and  tear  upon  the  nerves  of 
both  of  us  is  something  not  lightly  forgotten." 

He  ceased,  smiling  pleasantly,  but  with  a 
threatening  look  in  his  eye.  Thor's  wrath 
had  been  slowly  rising  during  this  tedious, 
grim  speech,  and  he  could  control  it  no 
longer. 

"  Cheat  and  trickster  ! "  he  cried,  "  your 
wiles  shall  avail  you  nothing  now  that  I  know 
your  true  self.  You  have  put  me  to  shame, 


THOR'S  VISIT  TO  THE  GIANTS  171 

now  my  hammer  shall  shame  you  beyond  all 
reckoning !  "  and  he  raised  Miolnir  to  smite 
the  giant  deathfully.  But  at  that  moment 
the  king  faded  before  his  very  eyes.  And 
when  he  turned  to  look  for  the  giant  city 
that  he  might  destroy  it,  —  as  he  had  so  many 
giant  dwellings,  —  there  was  in  the  place 
where  it  had  been  but  a  broad,  fair  plain, 
with  no  sign  of  any  palace,  wall,  or  gate. 
Utgard  had  vanished.  The  king  had  kept 
one  trick  of  magic  for  the  last. 

Then  Thor  and  his  three  companions 
wended  their  way  back  to  Asgard.  But  they 
were  slower  than  usual  about  answering  ques- 
tions concerning  their  last  adventure,  their 
wondrous  visit  to  the  giant  city.  Truth  to 
tell,  magic  or  no  magic,  Thor  and  Loki  had 
showed  but  a  poor  figure  that  day.  For  the 
first  time  in  all  their  meeting  with  Thor  the 
giants  had  not  come  off  any  the  worse  for 
the  encounter.  Perhaps  it  was  a  lesson  that 
he  sorely  needed.  I  am  afraid  that  he  was 
rather  inclined  to  think  well  of  himself.  But 
then,  he  had  reason,  had  he  not  ? 


THOR'S  FISHING 

ONCE  upon  a  time  the  ^Esir  went 
to  take  dinner  with  old  CEgir,  the 
king  of  the  ocean.  Down  under 
the  green  waves  they  went  to  the  coral  pal- 
ace where  CEgir  lived  with  his  wife,  Queen 
Ran,  and  his  daughters,  the  Waves.  But 
(Egir  was  not  expecting  so  large  a  party 
to  dinner,  and  he  had  not  mead  enough 
for  them  all  to  drink.  "I  must  brew  some 
more  mead,"  he  said  to  himself.  But  when 
he  came  to  look  for  a  kettle  in  which  to 
make  the  brew,  there  was  none  in  all  the 
sea  large  enough  for  the  purpose.  At  first 
CEgir  did  not  know  what  to  do ;  but  at 
last  he  decided  to  consult  the  gods  them- 
selves, for  he  knew  how  wise  and  powerful 
his  guests  were,  and  he  hoped  that  they 
might  help  him  to  a  kettle. 

Now  when  he  told  the  JEsir  his  trouble 
they  were  much  interested,  for  they  were 
hungry  and  thirsty,  and  longed  for  some  of 
(Egir's  good  mead.  "Where  can  we  find  a 
kettle?"  they  said  to  one  another.  "Who 
has  a  kettle  huge  enough  to  hold  mead  for 
all  the  ^Esir  ?  " 


THOR'S  FISHING  173 

Then  Tyr  the  brave  turned  to  Thor  with 
a  grand  idea.  "  My  father,  the  giant  Hymir, 
has  such  a  kettle,"  he  said.  "  I  have  seen  it 
often  in  his  great  palace  near  Elivagar,  the 
river  of  ice.  This  famous  kettle  is  a  mile 
deep,  and  surely  that  is  large  enough  to  brew 
all  the  mead  we  may  need." 

"  Surely,  surely  it  is  large  enough," 
laughed  (Egir.  "But  how  are  we  to  get 
the  kettle,  my  distinguished  guests  ?  Who 
will  go  to  Giant  Land  to  fetch  the  kettle  a 
mile  deep?" 

"That  will  I,"  said  brave  Thor.  "I  will 
go  to  Hymir's  dwelling  and  bring  thence 
the  little  kettle,  if  Tyr  will  go  with  me  to 
show  me  the  way."  So  Thor  and  Tyr  set 
out  together  for  the  land  of  snow  and  ice, 
where  the  giant  Hymir  lived.  They  trav- 
eled long  and  they  traveled  fast,  and  finally 
they  came  to  the  huge  house  which  had 
once  been  Tyr's  home,  before  he  went  to 
live  with  the  good  folk  in  Asgard. 

Well  Tyr  knew  the  way  to  enter,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  they  found  themselves 
in  the  hall  of  Hymir's  dwelling,  peering 
about  for  some  sign  of  the  kettle  which  they 


174  THOR'S  FISHING 

had  come  so  far  to  seek ;  and  sure  enough, 
presently  they  discovered  eight  huge  kettles 
hanging  in  a  row  from  one  of  the  beams 
in  the  ceiling.  While  the  two  were  wonder- 
ing which  kettle  might  be  the  one  they 
sought,  there  came  in  Tyr's  grandmother, 
—  and  a  terrible  grandmother  she  was.  No 
wonder  that  Tyr  had  run  away  from  home 
when  he  was  very  little  ;  for  this  dreadful 
creature  was  a  giantess  with  nine  hundred 
heads,  each  more  ugly  than  the  others,  and 
her  temper  was  as  bad  as  were  her  looks. 
She  began  to  roar  and  bellow  ;  and  no  one 
knows  what  this  evil  old  person  would 
have  done  to  her  grandson  and  his  friend 
had  not  there  come  into  the  hall  at  this 
moment  another  woman,  fair  and  sweet,  and 
glittering  with  golden  ornaments.  This  was 
Tyr's  good  mother,  who  loved  him  dearly, 
and  who  had  mourned  his  absence  during 
long  years. 

With  a  cry  of  joy  she  threw  herself  upon 
her  son's  neck,  bidding  him  welcome  forty 
times  over.  She  welcomed  Thor  also  when 
she  found  out  who  he  was ;  but  she  sent 
away  the  wicked  old  grandmother,  that  she 


THOR'S  FISHING  175 

might  not  hear,  for  Thor's  name  was  not 
dear  to  the  race  of  giants,  to  so  many  of 
whom  he  had  brought  dole  and  death. 

"Why  have  you  come,  dear  son,  after 
so  many  years  *?  "  she  cried.  "  I  know  that 
some  great  undertaking  calls  you  and  this 
noble  fellow  to  your  father's  hall.  Danger 
and  death  wait  here  for  such  as  you  and 
he ;  and  only  some  quest  with  glory  for  its 
reward  could  have  brought  you  to  such 
risks.  Tell  me  your  secret,  Tyr,  and  I  will 
not  betray  it." 

Then  they  told  her  how  that  they  had 
come  to  carry  away  the  giant  kettle ;  and 
Tyr's  mother  promised  that  she  would  help 
them  all  she  could.  But  she  warned  them 
that  it  would  be  dangerous  indeed,  for  that 
Hymir  had  been  in  a  terrible  temper  for 
many  days,  and  that  the  very  sight  of  a 
stranger  made  him  wild  with  rage.  Hastily 
she  gave  them  meat  and  drink,  for  they 
were  nearly  famished  after  their  long  jour- 
ney; and  then  she  looked  around  to  see 
where  she  should  hide  them  against  Hymir's 
return,  who  was  now  away  at  the  hunt. 

"Aha!"  she  cried.  " The  very  thing !  You 


1 76  THOR'S  FISHING 

shall  bide  in  the  great  kettle  itself;  and  if 
you  escape  Hymir's  terrible  eye,  it  may  hap 
that  you  will  find  a  way  to  make  off  with 
your  hiding-place,  which  is  what  you  want." 
So  the  kind  creature  helped  them  to  climb 
into  the  great  kettle  where  it  hung  from  one 
of  the  rafters  in  a  row  with  seven  others ; 
but  this  one  was  the  biggest  and  the  strong- 
est of  them  all. 

Hardly  had  they  snuggled  down  out  of 
sight  when  Tyr's  mother  began  to  tremble. 
"  Hist !  "  she  cried.  "  I  hear  him  coming. 
Keep  as  still  as  ever  you  can,  O  Tyr  and 
Thor!"  The  floor  also  began  to  tremble, 
and  the  eight  kettles  to  clatter  against  one 
another,  as  Hymir's  giant  footsteps  ap- 
proached the  house.  Outside  they  could 
hear  the  icebergs  shaking  with  a  sound  like 
thunder;  indeed,  the  whole  earth  quivered 
as  if  with  fear  when  the  terrible  giant  Hy- 
mir  strode  home  from  the  hunt.  He  came 
into  the  hall  puffing  and  blowing,  and  im- 
mediately the  air  of  the  room  grew  chilly; 
for  his  beard  was  hung  with  icicles  and  his 
face  was  frosted  hard,  while  his  breath  was 
a  winter  wind,  —  a  freezing  blast. 


THOR'S  FISHING  177 

"  Ho !  wife,"  he  growled,  "  what  news, 
what  news  ?  For  I  see  by  the  footprints  in 
the  snow  outside  that  you  have  had  visitors 
to-day." 

Then  indeed  the  poor  woman  trembled; 
but  she  tried  not  to  look  frightened  as  she 
answered,  "Yes,  you  have  a  guest,  O  Hy- 
mir!  —  a  guest  whom  you  have  long  wished 
to  see.  Your  son  Tyr  has  returned  to  visit 
his  father's  hall." 

"  Humph ! "  growled  Hymir,  with  a  terri- 
ble frown.  "  Whom  has  he  brought  here 
with  him,  the  rascal  ?  There  are  prints  of 
two  persons'  feet  in  the  snow.  Come,  wife, 
tell  me  all ;  for  I  shall  soon  find  out  the 
truth,  whether  or  no." 

"  He  has  brought  a  friend  of  his,  —  a 
dear  friend,  O  Hymir ! "  faltered  the  mother. 
"  Surely,  our  son's  friends  are  welcome  when 
he  brings  them  to  this  our  home,  after  so 
long  an  absence." 

But  Hymir  howled  with  rage  at  the  word 
"friend."  "Where  are  they  hidden?"  he 
cried.  "  Friend,  indeed  !  It  is  one  of  those 
bloody  fellows  from  Asgard,  I  know,  —  one 
of  those  giant-killers  whom  my  good  mother 


178  THOR'S  FISHING 

taught  me  to  hate  with  all  my  might.  Let 
me  get  at  him !  Tell  me  instantly  where  he 
is  hidden,  or  I  will  pull  down  the  hall  about 
your  ears  ! " 

Now  when  the  wicked  old  giant  spoke 
like  this,  his  wife  knew  that  he  must  be 
obeyed.  Still  she  tried  to  put  off  the  fateful 
moment  of  the  discovery.  "  They  are  stand- 
ing over  there  behind  that  pillar,"  she  said. 
Instantly  Hymir  glared  at  the  pillar  towards 
which  she  pointed,  and  at  his  frosty  glance 
—  snick-snack  !  —  the  marble  pillar  cracked 
in  two,  and  down  crashed  the  great  roof- 
beam  which  held  the  eight  kettles.  Smash ! 
went  the  kettles ;  and  there  they  lay  shiv- 
ered into  little  pieces  at  Hymir's  feet,  —  all 
except  one,  the  largest  of  them  all,  and  that 
was  the  kettle  in  which  Thor  and  Tyr  lay 
hidden,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe  lest  the 
giant  should  guess  where  they  were.  Tyr's 
mother  screamed  when  she  saw  the  big  ket- 
tle fall  with  the  others :  but  when  she  found 
that  this  one,  alone  of  them  all,  lay  on  its 
side  unbroken,  because  it  was  so  tough  and 
strong,  she  held  her  breath  to  see  what 
would  happen  next. 


THOR'S  FISHING  179 

And  what  happened  was  this :  out  stepped 
Thor  and  Tyr,  and  making  low  bows  to 
Hymir,  they  stood  side  by  side,  smiling  and 
looking  as  unconcerned  as  if  they  really 
enjoyed  all  this  hubbub ;  and  I  dare  say 
that  they  did  indeed,  being  Tyr  the  bold 
and  Thor  the  thunderer,  who  had  been  in 
Giant  Land  many  times  ere  this. 

Hymir  gave  scarcely  a  glance  at  his  son, 
but  he  eyed  Thor  with  a  frown  of  hatred 
and  suspicion,  for  he  knew  that  this  was 
one  of  Father  Odin's  brave  family,  though 
he  could  not  tell  which  one.  However,  he 
thought  best  to  be  civil,  now  that  Thor  was 
actually  before  him.  So  with  gruff  polite- 
ness he  invited  the  two  guests  to  supper. 

Now  Thor  was  a  valiant  fellow  at  the 
table  as  well  as  in  war,  as  you  remember; 
and  at  sight  of  the  good  things  on  the  board 
his  eyes  sparkled.  Three  roast  oxen  there 
were  upon  the  giant's  table,  and  Thor  fell 
to  with  a  will  and  finished  two  of  them 
himself!  You  should  have  seen  the  giant 
stare. 

"  Truly,  friend,  you  have  a  goodly  appe* 
tite,"  he  said.  "  You  have  eaten  all  the  meat 


i8o  THOR'S  FISHING 

that  I  have  in  my  larder ;  and  if  you  dine 
with  us  to-morrow,  I  must  insist  that  you 
catch  your  own  dinner  of  fish.  I  cannot 
undertake  to  provide  food  for  such  an  appe- 
tite ! " 

Now  this  was  not  hospitable  of  Hymir, 
but  Thor  did  not  mind.  "  I  like  well  to  fish, 
good  Hymir,"  he  laughed ;  "  and  when  you 
fare  forth  with  your  boat  in  the  morning,  I 
will  go  with  you  and  see  what  I  can  find  for 
my  dinner  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

When  the  morning  came,  the  giant  made 
ready  for  the  fishing,  and  Thor  rose  early  to 
go  with  him. 

"  Ho,  Hymir,"  exclaimed  Thor,  "  have 
you  bait  enough  for  us  both  ?  " 

Hymir  answered  gruffly,  "You  must  dig 
your  own  bait  when  you  go  fishing  with  me. 
I  have  no  time  to  waste  on  you,  sirrah." 

Then  Thor  looked  about  to  see  what  he 
could  use  for  bait ;  and  presently  he  spied 
a  herd  of  Hymir's  oxen  feeding  in  the 
meadow.  "  Aha !  just  the  thing  !  "  he  cried ; 
and  seizing  the  hugest  ox  of  all,  he  trotted 
down  to  the  shore  with  it  under  his  arm, 
as  easily  as  you  would  carry  a  handful  of 


THOR'S  FISHING  181 

clams  for  bait.  When  Hymir  saw  this,  he 
was  very  angry.  He  pushed  the  boat  off 
from  shore  and  began  to  row  away  as  fast 
as  he  could,  so  that  Thor  might  not  have 
a  chance  to  come  aboard.  But  Thor  made 
one  long  step  and  planted  himself  snugly 
in  the  stern  of  the  boat. 

"  No,  no,  brother  Hymir,"  he  said,  laugh- 
ing. "You  invited  me  to  go  fishing,  and 
a-fishing  I  will  go ;  for  I  have  my  bait,  and 
my  hope  is  high  that  great  luck  I  shall  see 
this  day."  So  he  took  an  oar  and  rowed 
mightily  in  the  stern,  while  Hymir  the  giant 
rowed  mightily  at  the  prow ;  and  no  one 
ever  saw  boat  skip  over  the  water  so  fast 
as  this  one  did  on  the  day  when  these  two 
big  fellows  went  fishing  together. 

Far  and  fast  they  rowed,  until  they  came 
to  a  spot  where  Hymir  cried,  "  Hold  !  Let 
us  anchor  here  and  fish;  this  is  the  place 
where  I  have  best  fortune." 

"  And  what  sort  of  little  fish  do  you  catch 
here,  O  Hymir  ?  "  asked  Thor. 

"  Whales  !  "  answered  the  giant  proudly. 
"  I  fish  for  nothing  smaller  than  whales." 

"  Pooh  ! "  cried  Thor.    "  Who  would  fish 


1 82  THOR'S  FISHING 

for  such  small  fry !  Whales,  indeed ;  let  us 
row  out  further,  where  we  can  find  some- 
thing really  worth  catching,"  and  he  began 
to  pull  even  faster  than  before. 

"  Stop !  stop  ! "  roared  the  giant.  "  You 
do  not  know  what  you  are  doing.  These 
are  the  haunts  of  the  dreadful  Midgard 
serpent,  and  it  is  not  safe  to  fish  in  these 
waters." 

"  Oho  !  The  Midgard  serpent  !  "  said 
Thor,  delighted.  "  That  is  the  very  fish  I 
am  after.  Let  us  drop  in  our  lines  here." 

Thor  baited  his  great  hook  with  the  whole 
head  of  the  ox  which  he  had  brought,  and 
cast  his  line,  big  round  as  a  man's  arm,  over 
the  side  of  the  boat.  Hymir  also  cast  his 
line,  for  he  did  not  wish  Thor  to  think  him 
a  coward ;  but  his  hand  trembled  as  he 
waited  for  a  bite,  and  he  glanced  down  into 
the  blue  depths  with  eyes  rounded  as  big 
as  dinner-plates  through  fear  of  the  hor- 
rible creature  who  lived  down  below  those 
waves. 

"  Look  !  You  have  a  bite  ! "  cried  Thor, 
so  suddenly  that  Hymir  started  and  nearly 
tumbled  out  of  the  boat.  Hand  over  hand 


THOR'S  FISHING  183 

he  pulled  in  his  line,  and  lo !  he  had  caught 
two  whales  —  two  great  flopping  whales  — 
on  his  one  hook  !  That  was  a  catch  in- 
deed. 

Hymir  smiled  proudly,  forgetting  his  fear 
as  he  said,  "  How  is  that,  my  friend  ?  Let  us 
see  you  beat  this  catch  in  your  morning's 
fishing." 

Lo,  just  at  that  moment  Thor  also  had 
a  bite  —  such  a  bite!  The  boat  rocked  to 
and  fro,  and  seemed  ready  to  capsize  every 
minute.  Then  the  waves  began  to  roll  high 
and  to  be  lashed  into  foam  for  yards  and 
yards  about  the  boat,  as  if  some  huge  crea- 
ture were  struggling  hard  below  the  water. 

"  I  have  him  !  "  shouted  Thor ;  "  I  have 
the  old  serpent,  the  brother  of  the  Fenris 
wolf!  Pull,  pull,  monster!  But  you  shall 
not  escape  me  now  ! " 

Sure  enough,  the  Midgard  serpent  had 
Thor's  hook  fixed  in  his  jaw,  and  struggle 
as  he  might,  there  was  no  freeing  himself 
from  the  line;  for  the  harder  he  pulled  the 
stronger  grew  Thor.  In  his  ^Esir-might  Thor 
waxed  so  huge  and  so  forceful  that  his  legs 
went  straight  through  the  bottom  of  the 


184  THOR'S  FISHING 

boat  and  his  feet  stood  on  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  With  firm  bottom  as  a  brace  for  his 
strength,  Thor  pulled  and  pulled,  and  at  last 
up  came  the  head  of  the  Midgard  serpent, 
up  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  where  it  thrust 
out  of  the  water  mountain  high,  dreadful  to 
behold ;  his  monstrous  red  eyes  were  rolling 
fiercely,  his  nostrils  spouted  fire,  and  from 
his  terrible  sharp  teeth  dripped  poison,  that 
sizzled  as  it  fell  into  the  sea.  Angrily  they 
glared  at  each  other,  Thor  and  the  serpent, 
while  the  water  streamed  into  the  boat,  and 
the  giant  turned  pale  with  fear  at  the  danger 
threatening  him  on  all  sides. 

Thor  seized  his  hammer,  preparing  to  smite 
the  creature's  head ;  but  even  as  he  swung 
Miolnir  high  for  the  fatal  blow,  Hymir  cut 
the  fish-line  with  his  knife,  and  down  into 
the  depths  of  ocean  sank  the  Midgard  ser- 
pent amid  a  whirlpool  of  eddies.  But  the 
hammer  had  sped  from  Thor's  iron  fingers. 
It  crushed  the  serpent's  head  as  he  sank 
downward  to  his  lair  on  the  sandy  bottom ; 
it  crushed,  but  did  not  kill  him,  thanks  to 
the  giant's  treachery.  Terrible  was  the  .dis- 
turbance it  caused  beneath  the  waves.  It  burst 


THOR'S  FISHING  185 

the  rocks  and  made  the  caverns  of  the  ocean 
shiver  into  bits.  It  wrecked  the  coral  groves 
and  tore  loose  the  draperies  of  sea-weed.  The 
fishes  scurried  about  in  every  direction,  and 
the  sea-monsters  wildly  sought  new  places 
to  hide  themselves  when  they  found  their 
homes  destroyed.  The  sea  itself  was  stirred 
to  its  lowest  depths,  and  the  waves  ran 
trembling  into  one  another's  arms.  The  earth, 
too,  shrank  and  shivered.  Hymir,  cowering 
low  in  the  boat,  was  glad  of  one  thing,  which 
was  that  the  terrible  Midgard  serpent  had 
vanished  out  of  sight.  And  that  was  the  last 
that  was  ever  seen  of  him,  though  he  still 
lived,  wounded  and  sore  from  the  shock  of 
Thor's  hammer. 

Now  it  was  time  to  return  home.  Silently 
and  sulkily  the  giant  swam  back  to  land ; 
Thor,  bearing  the  boat  upon  his  shoulders, 
filled  with  water  and  weighted  as  it  was  with 
the  great  whales  which  Hymir  had  caught, 
waded  ashore,  and  brought  his  burden  to  the 
giant's  hall.  Here  Hymir  met  him  crossly 
enough,  for  he  was  ashamed  of  the  whole 
morning's  work,  in  which  Thor  had  appeared 
so  much  more  of  a  hero  than  he.  Indeed. 


1 86  THOR'S  FISHING 

he  was  tired  of  even  pretending  hospitality 
towards  this  unwelcome  guest,  and  was  re- 
solved to  be  rid  of  him ;  but  first  he  would 
put  Thor  to  shame. 

"  You  are  a  strong  fellow,"  he  said,  "  good 
at  the  oar  and  at  the  fishing;  most  won- 
drously  good  at  the  hammer,  by  which  I 
know  that  you  are  Thor.  But  there  is  one 
thing  which  you  cannot  do,  I  warrant,  — 
you  cannot  break  this  little  cup  of  mine, 
hard  though  you  may  try." 

"That  I  shall  see  for  myself,"  answered 
Thor;  and  he  took  the  cup  in  his  hand. 
Now  this  was  a  magic  cup,  and  there  was 
but  one  way  of  breaking  it,  but  one  thing 
hard  enough  to  shatter  its  mightiness.  Thor 
threw  it  with  all  his  force  against  a  stone 
of  the  flooring ;  but  instead  of  breaking  the 
cup,  the  stone  itself  was  cracked  into  splin- 
ters. Then  Thor  grew  angry,  for  the  giant 
and  all  his  servants  were  laughing  as  if  thif 
were  the  greatest  joke  ever  played. 

"  Ho,  ho  !    Try  again,  Thor  ! "  cried  Hy 
mir,  nearly  bursting  with   delight  ;  for  he 
thought   that    now   he    should    prove   how 
much  mightier  he  was  than  the  visitor  from 


THOR'S  FISHING  187 

Asgard.  Thor  clutched  the  cup  more  firmly 
and  hurled  it  against  one  of  the  iron  pillars 
of  the  hall ;  but  like  a  rubber  ball  the  magic 
cup  merely  bounded  back  straight  into 
Hymir's  hand.  At  this  second  failure  the 
giants  were  full  of  merriment  and  danced 
about,  making  all  manner  of  fun  at  the  ex- 
pense of  Thor.  You  can  fancy  how  well 
Thor  the  mighty  enjoyed  this  !  His  brow 
grew  black,  and  the  glance  of  his  eye  was 
terrible.  He  knew  there  was  some  magic  in 
the  trick,  but  he  knew  not  how  to  meet  it. 
Just  then  he  felt  the  soft  touch  of  a  woman's 
hand  upon  his  arm,  and  the  voice  of  Tyr's 
mother  whispered  in  his  ear,  — 

"  Cast  the  cup  against  Hymir's  own  fore- 
head, which  is  the  hardest  substance  in  the 
world."  No  one  except  Thor  heard  the 
woman  say  these  words,  for  all  the  giant 
folk  were  doubled  up  with  mirth  over  their 
famous  joke.  But  Thor  dropped  upon  one 
knee,  and  seizing  the  cup  fiercely,  whirled 
it  about  his  head,  then  dashed  it  with  all 
his  might  straight  at  Hymir's  forehead. 
Smash!  Crash!  What  had  happened? 
Thor  looked  eagerly  to  see.  There  stood  the 


i88  THOR'S  FISHING 

giant,  looking  surprised  and  a  little  dazed; 
but  his  forehead  showed  not  even  a 
scratch,  while  the  strong  cup  was  shivered 
into  little  pieces. 

"  Well  done  ! "  exclaimed  Hymir  hastily, 
when  he  had  recovered  a  little  from  his  sur- 
prise. But  he  was  mortified  at  Thor's  suc- 
cess, and  set  about  to  think  up  a  new  task 
to  try  his  strength.  "  That  was  very  well," 
he  remarked  patronizingly ;  "  now  you  must 
perform  a  harder  task.  Let  us  see  you  carry 
the  mead  kettle  out  of  the  hall.  Do  that,  my 
fine  fellow,  and  I  shall  say  you  are  strong 
indeed." 

The  mead  kettle  !  The  very  thing  Thor 
had  come  to  get !  He  glanced  at  Tyr ;  he 
shot  a  look  at  Tyr's  mother ;  and  both  of 
them  caught  the  sparkle,  which  was  very 
like  a  wink.  To  himself  Thor  muttered, 
"  I  must  not  fail  in  this !  I  must  not,  will 
not  fail ! " 

"  First  let  me  try,"  cried  Tyr ;  for  he 
wanted  to  give  Thor  time  for  a  resting- 
spell.  Twice  Tyr  the  mighty  strained  at 
the  great  kettle,  but  he  could  not  so  much 
as  stir  one  leg  of  it  from  the  floor  where 


THOR'S  FISHING  189 

it  rested.  He  tugged  and  heaved  in  vain, 
growing  red  in  the  face,  till  his  mother 
begged  him  to  give  over,  for  it  was  quite 
useless. 

Then  Thor  stepped  forth  upon  the  floor. 
He  grasped  the  rim  of  the  kettle,  and 
stamped  his  feet  through  the  stone  of  the 
flooring  as  he  braced  himself  to  lift.  One, 
two,  three  !  Thor  straightened  himself,  and 
up  swung  the  giant  kettle  to  his  head,  while 
the  iron  handle  clattered  about  his  feet.  It 
was  a  mighty  burden,  and  Thor  staggered 
as  he  started  for  the  door  ;  but  Tyr  was 
close  beside  him,  and  they  had  covered  long 
leagues  of  ground  on  their  way  home  before 
the  astonished  giants  had  recovered  suffi- 
ciently to  follow  them.  When  Thor  and 
Tyr  looked  back,  however,  they  saw  a  vast 
crowd  of  horrible  giants,  some  of  them  with 
a  hundred  heads,  swarming  out  of  the  cav- 
erns in  Hymir's  land,  howling  and  prowling 
upon  their  track. 

"  You  must  stop  them,  Thor,  or  they  will 
never  let  us  get  away  with  their  precious 
kettle,  —  they  take  such  long  strides ! "  cried 
Tyr.  So  Thor  set  down  the  kettle,  and  from 


190  THOR'S  FISHING 

his  pocket  drew  out  Miolnir,  his  wondrous 
hammer.  Terribly  it  flashed  in  the  air  as  he 
swung  it  over  his  head ;  then  forth  it  flew 
towards  Jotunheim ;  and  before  it  returned 
to  Thor's  hand  it  had  crushed  all  the  heads 
of  those  many-headed  giants,  Hymir's  ugly 
mother  and  Hymir  himself  among  them. 
The  only  one  who  escaped  was  the  good 
and  beautiful  mother  of  Tyr.  And  you  may 
be  sure  she  lived  happily  ever  after  in  the 
palace  which  Hymir  and  his  wicked  old 
mother  had  formerly  made  so  wretched  a 
home  for  her. 

Now  Tyr  and  Thor  had  the  giant  kettle 
which  they  had  gone  so  far  and  had  met 
so  many  dangers  to  obtain.  They  took  it 
to  (Egir's  sea-palace,  where  the  banquet  was 
still  going  on,  and  where  the  ^Esir  were  still 
waiting  patiently  for  their  mead;  for  time 
does  not  go  so  fast  below  the  quiet  waves 
as  on  shore.  Now  that  King  CEgir  had  the 
great  kettle,  he  could  brew  all  the  mead 
they  needed.  So  every  one  thanked  Tyr 
and  congratulated  Thor  upon  the  success  of 
their  adventure. 

"I  was  sure  that  Thor  would  bring  th* 


THOR'S  FISHING  191 

iettle,"  said  fair  Sifj  smiling  upon  her  brave 
husband. 

"What  Thor  sets  out  to  do,  that  he 
always  accomplishes,"  said  Father  Odin 
gravely.  And  that  was  praise  enough  for 
any  one. 


THOR'S   DUEL    *  * 

IN  the  days  that  are  past  a  wonderful  race 
of  horses  pastured  in  the  meadows  of 
heaven,  steeds  more  beautiful  and  more 
swift  than  any  which  the  world  knows  to-day. 
There  was  Hrimfaxi,  the  black,  sleek  horse 
who  drew  the  chariot  of  Night  across  the  sky 
and  scattered  the  dew  from  his  foaming  bit. 
There  was  Glad,  behind  whose  flying  heels 
sped  the  swift  chariot  of  Day.  His  mane  was 
yellow  with  gold,  and  from  it  beamed  light 
which  made  the  whole  world  bright.  Then 
there  were  the  two  shining  horses  of  the  sun, 
Arvakur  the  watchful,  and  Alsvith  the  rapid ; 
and  the  nine  fierce  battle-chargers  of  the  nine 
Valkyries,  who  bore  the  bodies  of  fallen  he- 
roes from  the  field  of  fight  to  the  blessedness 
of  Valhalla.  Each  of  the  gods  had  his  own 
glorious  steed,  with  such  pretty  names  as 
Gold-mane  and  Silver-top,  Light-foot  and 
Precious-stone ;  these  galloped  with  their 
masters  over  clouds  and  through  the  blue  air, 
blowing  flame  from  their  nostrils  and  glint- 
ing sparks  from  their  fiery  eyes.  The  JEsir 
would  have  been  poor  indeed  without  then 


THOR'S  DUEL  193 

faithful  mounts,  and  few  would  be  the  stories 
to  tell  in  which  these  noble  creatures  do  not 
bear  at  least  a  part. 

But  best  of  all  the  horses  of  heaven  was 
Sleipnir,  the  eight-legged  steed  of  Father 
Odin,  who  because  he  was  so  well  supplied 
with  sturdy  feet  could  gallop  faster  over  land 
and  sea  than  any  horse  which  ever  lived. 
Sleipnir  was  snow-white  and  beautiful  to  see, 
and  Odin  was  very  fond  and  proud  of  hin\ 
you  may  be  sure.  He  loved  to  ride  forth 
upon  his  good  horse's  back  to  meet  whatever 
adventure  might  be  upon  the  way,  and  some- 
times they  had  wild  times  together. 

One  day  Odin  galloped  off  from  Asgard 
upon  Sleipnir  straight  towards  Jotunheim 
and  the  Land  of  Giants,  for  it  was  long  since 
All-Father  had  been  to  the  cold  country,  and 
he  wished  to  see  how  its  mountains  and  ice- 
rivers  looked.  Now  as  he  galloped  along  a 
wild  road,  he  met  a  huge  giant  standing  be- 
side his  giant  steed. 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  cried  the  giant  gruffly, 
blocking  the  way  so  that  Odin  could  not 
pass.  "  You  with  the  golden  helmet,  who  are 
you,  who  ride  so  famously  through  air  and 


194  THOR'S   DUEL 

water  ?  For  I  have  been  watching  you  from 
this  mountain-top.  Truly,  that  is  a  fine  horse 
which  you  bestride." 

"  There  is  no  finer  horse  in  all  the  world," 
boasted  Odin.  "  Have  you  not  heard  of  Sleip- 
nir,  the  pride  of  Asgard?  I  will  match  him 
against  any  of  your  big,  clumsy  giant  horses." 

"  Ho  !  "  roared  the  giant  angrily,  "  an  ex- 
cellent horse  he  is,  your  little  Sleipnir.  But 
I  warrant  he  is  no  match  for  my  Gullfaxi 
here.  Come,  let  us  try  a  race ;  and  at  its  end 
I  shall  pay  you  for  your  insult  to  our  horses 
of  Jotunheim." 

So  saying,  the  giant,  whose  ugly  name 
was  Hrungnir,  sprang  upon  his  horse  and 
spurred  straight  at  Odin  in  the  narrow  way. 
Odin  turned  and  galloped  back  towards  As- 
gard  with  all  his  might ;  for  not  only  must 
he  prove  his  horse's  speed,  but  he  must  save 
himself  and  Sleipnir  from  the  anger  of  the 
giant,  who  was  one  of  the  fiercest  and  wick- 
edest of  all  his  fierce  and  wicked  race. 

How  the  eight  slender  legs  of  Sleipnir 
twinkled  through  the  blue  sky!  How  his 
nostrils  quivered  and  shot  forth  fire  and 
smoke !  Like  a  flash  of  lightning  he  darted 


THOR'S   DUEL  195 

across  the  sky,  and  the  giant  horse  rumbled 
and  thumped  along  close  behind  like  the 
thunder  following  the  flash. 

"  Hi,  hi ! "  yelled  the  giant.  "  After  them, 
Gullfaxi !  And  when  we  have  overtaken  the 
two,  we  will  crush  their  bones  between  us ! " 

"  Speed,  speed,  my  Sleipnir !  "  shouted 
Odin.  "  Speed,  good  horse,  or  you  will  never 
again  feed  in  the  dewy  pastures  of  Asgard 
with  the  other  horses.  Speed,  speed,  and  bring 
us  safe  within  the  gates !  " 

Well  Sleipnir  understood  what  his  mas- 
ter said,  and  well  he  knew  the  way.  Already 
the  rainbow  bridge  was  in  sight,  with  Heim- 
dal  the  watchman  prepared  to  let  them  in. 
His  sharp  eyes  had  spied  them  afar,  and 
had  recognized  the  flash  of  Sleipnir's  white 
body  and  of  Odin's  golden  helmet.  Gallop 
and  thud  !  The  twelve  hoofs  were  upon  the 
bridge,  the  giant  horse  close  behind  the  other. 
At  last  Hrungnir  knew  where  he  was,  and 
into  what  danger  he  was  rushing.  He  pulled 
at  the  reins  and  tried  to  stop  his  great  beast. 
But  Gullfaxi  was  tearing  along  at  too  terrible 
a  speed.  He  could  not  stop.  Heimdal  threw 
open  the  gates  of  Asgard,  and  in  galloped 


1 96  THOR'S   DUEL 

Sleipnir  with  his  precious  burden,  safe.  Close 
upon  them  bolted  in  Gullfaxi,  bearing  his 
giant  master,  puffing  and  purple  in  the  face 
from  hard  riding  and  anger.  Cling-clang! 
Heimdal  had  shut  and  barred  the  gates,  and 
there  was  the  giant  prisoned  in  the  castle  of 
his  enemies. 

Now  the  ^Esir  were  courteous  folk,  unlike 
the  giants,  and  they  were  not  anxious  to  take 
advantage  of  a  single  enemy  thus  thrown 
into  their  power.  They  invited  him  to  enter 
Valhalla  with  them,  to  rest  and  sup  before 
the  long  journey  of  his  return.  Thor  was  not 
present,  so  they  filled  for  the  giant  the  great 
cups  which  Thor  was  wont  to  drain,  for 
they  were  nearest  to  the  giant  size.  But  you 
remember  that  Thor  was  famous  for  his 
power  to  drink  deep.  Hrungnir's  head  was 
not  so  steady ;  Thor's  draught  was  too  much 
for  him.  He  soon  lost  his  vits,  of  which  he 
had  but  few ;  and  a  witless  giant  is  a  most 
dreadful  creature.  He  raged  like  a  madman, 
and  threatened  to  pick  up  Valhalte  like  a  toy 
house  and  carry  it  home  with  him  to  Jotun- 
heim.  He  said  he  would  pull  Asgard  to 
pieces  and  slay  all  the  gods  except  Freia  the 


THOR'S   DUEL  197 

fair  and  Sif,  the  golden-haired  wife  of  Thor, 
whom  he  would  carry  off  like  little  dolls  for 
his  toy  house. 

The  JEsir  knew  not  what  to  do,  for  Thor 
and  his  hammer  were  not  there  to  protect 
them,  and  Asgard  seemed  in  danger  with  this 
enemy  within  its  very  walls.  Hrungnir  called 
for  more  and  more  mead,  which  Freia  alone 
dared  to  bring  and  set  before  him.  And  the 
more  he  drank  the  fiercer  he  became.  At  last 
the  ^Esir  could  bear  no  longer  his  insults  and 
his  violence.  Besides,  they  feared  that  there 
would  be  no  more  mead  left  for  their  ban- 
quets if  this  unwelcome  visitor  should  keep 
Freia  pouring  out  for  him  Thor's  mighty 
goblets.  They  bade  Heimdal  blow  his  horn 
and  summon  Thor ;  and  this  Heimdal  did  in 
a  trice. 

Now  rumbling  and  thundering  in  his 
chariot  of  goats  came  Thor.  He  dashed  into 
the  hall,  hammer  in  hand,  and  stared  in 
amazement  at  the  unwieldy  guest  whom  he 
found  there. 

"A  giant  feasting  in  Asgard  hall!"  he 
roared.  "  This  is  a  sight  which  I  never  saw 
before.  Who  gave  the  insolent  fellow  leave 


198  THOR'S   DUEL 

to  sit  in  my  place  ?  And  why  does  fair  Freia 
wait  upon  him  as  if  he  were  some  noble 
guest  at  a  feast  of  the  high  gods  ?  I  will  slay 
him  at  once  ! "  and  he  raised  the  hammer  to 
keep  his  word. 

Thor's  coming  had  sobered  the  giant  some- 
what, for  he  knew  that  this  was  no  enemy 
to  be  trifled  with.  He  looked  at  Thor  sulkily 
and  said  :  "  I  am  Odin's  guest.  He  invited 
me  to  this  banquet,  and  therefore  I  am  under 
his  protection." 

"  You  shall  be  sorry  that  you  accepted  the 
invitation,"  cried  Thor,  balancing  his  hammer 
and  looking  very  fierce ;  for  Sif  had  sobbed 
in  his  ear  how  the  giant  had  threatened  to 
carry  her  away. 

Hrungnir  now  rose  to  his  feet  and  faced 
Thor  boldly,  for  the  sound  of  Thor's  gruff 
voice  had  restored  his  scattered  wits.  "  I  am 
here  alone  and  without  weapons,"  he  said. 
"  You  would  do  ill  to  slay  me  now.  It  would 
be  little  like  the  noble  Thor,  of  whom  we 
hear  tales,  to  do  such  a  thing.  The  world  will 
count  you  braver  if  you  let  me  go  and  meet 
me  later  in  single  combat,  when  we  shall 
both  be  fairly  armed." 


THOR'S  DUEL  199 

Thor  dropped  the  hammer  to  his  side. 
"  Your  words  are  true,"  he  said,  for  he  was  a 
just  and  honorable  fellow. 

"I  was  foolish  to  leave  my  shield  and 
stone  club  at  home,"  went  on  the  giant.  "  If 
I  had  my  arms  with  me,  we  would  fight  at 
this  moment.  But  I  name  you  a  coward  if 
you  slay  me  now,  an  unarmed  enemy." 

"  Your  words  are  just,"  quoth  Thor  again. 
"  I  have  never  before  been  challenged  by  any 
foe.  I  will  meet  you,  Hrungnir,  at  your 
Stone  City,  midway  between  heaven  and 
earth.  And  there  we  will  fight  a  duel  to  see 
which  of  us  is  the  better  fellow." 

Hrungnir  departed  for  Stone  City  in  Jo- 
tunheim;  and  great  was  the  excitement  of 
the  other  giants  when  they  heard  of  the  duel 
which  one  of  their  number  was  to  fight 
with  Thor,  the  deadliest  enemy  of  their  race. 

"  We  must  be  sure  that  Hrungnir  wins  the 
victory ! "  they  cried.  "  It  will  never  do  to 
have  Asgard  victorious  in  the  first  duel  that 
we  have  fought  with  her  champion.  We 
will  make  a  second  hero  to  aid  Hrung* 
nir." 

All  the  giants  set  to  work  with  a  will 


aoo  THOR'S  DUEL 

They  brought  great  buckets  of  moist  clay, 
and  heaping  them  up  into  a  huge  mound, 
moulded  the  mass  with  their  giant  hands  as 
a  sculptor  does  his  image,  until  they  had 
made  a  man  of  clay,  an  immense  dummy, 
nine  miles  high  and  three  miles  wide.  "Now 
we  must  make  him  live ;  we  must  put  a  heart 
into  him !  "  they  cried.  But  they  could  find 
no  heart  big  enough  until  they  thought  of 
taking  that  of  a  mare,  and  that  fitted  nicely. 
A  mare's  heart  is  the  most  cowardly  one  that 
beats. 

Hrungnir's  heart  was  a  three-cornered 
piece  of  hard  stone.  His  head  also  was  of 
stone,  and  likewise  the  great  shield  which  he 
held  before  him  when  he  stood  outside  of 
Stone  City  waiting  for  Thor  to  come  to  the 
duel.  Over  his  shoulder  he  carried  his  club, 
and  that  also  was  of  stone,  the  kind  from 
which  whetstones  are  made,  hard  and  terrible. 
By  his  side  stood  the  huge  clay  man,  Mocku- 
ralfi,  and  they  were  a  dreadful  sight  to  see, 
these  two  vast  bodies  whom  Thor  must  en- 
counter. 

But  at  the  very  first  sight  of  Thor,  who 
came  thundering  to  the  place  with  swift 


THOR'S   DUEL  201 

Thialfi  his  servant,  the  timid  mare's  heart 
in  the  man  of  clay  throbbed  with  fear;  he 
trembled  so  that  his  knees  knocked  together, 
and  his  nine  miles  of  height  rocked  un- 
steadily. 

Thialfi  ran  up  to  Hrungnir  and  began  to 
mock  him,  saying,  "You  are  careless,  giant. 
I  fear  you  do  not  know  what  a  mighty  enemy 
has  come  to  fight  you.  You  hold  your  shield 
in  front  of  you;  but  that  will  serve  you 
nothing.  Thor  has  seen  this.  He  has  only 
to  go  down  into  the  earth  and  he  can  attack 
you  conveniently  from  beneath  your  very 
feet." 

At  this  terrifying  news  Hrungnir  hastened 
to  throw  his  shield  upon  the  ground  and  to 
stand  upon  it,  so  that  he  might  be  safe  from 
Thor's  under-stroke.  He  grasped  his  heavy 
club  with  both  hands  and  waited.  He  had 
not  long  to  wait.  There  came  a  blinding 
flash  of  lightning  and  a  peal  of  crashing 
thunder.  Thor  had  cast  his  hammer  into 
space.  Hrungnir  raised  his  club  with  both 
hands  and  hurled  it  against  the  hammer 
which  he  saw  flying  towards  him.  The  two 
mighty  weapons  met  in  the  air  with  an  ear- 


202  THOR'S  DUEL 

splitting  shock.  Hard  as  was  the  stone  of  the 
giant's  club,  it  was  like  glass  against  the 
power  of  Miolnir.  The  club  was  dashed  into 
pieces  ;  some  fragments  fell  upon  the  earth ; 
and  these,  they  say,  are  the  rocks  from  which 
whetstones  are  made  unto  this  day.  They 
are  so  hard  that  men  use  them  to  sharpen 
knives  and  axes  and  scythes.  One  splinter 
of  the  hard  stone  struck  Thor  himself  in  the 
forehead,  with  so  fierce  a  blow  that  he  fell 
forward  upon  the  ground,  and  Thialfi  feared 
that  he  was  killed.  But  Miolnir,  not  even 
stopped  in  its  course  by  meeting  the  giant's 
club,  sped  straight  to  Hrungnir  and  crushed 
his  stony  skull,  so  that  he  fell  forward  over 
Thor,  and  his  foot  lay  on  the  fallen  hero's 
neck.  And  that  was  the  end  of  the  giant 
whose  head  and  heart  were  of  stone. 

Meanwhile  Thialfi  the  swift  had  fought 
with  the  man  of  clay,  and  had  found  little 
trouble  in  toppling  him  to  earth.  For  the 
mare's  cowardly  heart  in  his  great  body  gave 
him  little  strength  to  meet  Thor's  faithful 
servant ;  and  the  trembling  limbs  of  Mocku- 
ralfi  soon  yielded  to  Thialfi's  hearty  blows. 
He  fell  like  an  unsteady  tower  of  blocks,  and 


THOR'S  DUEL  203 

his  brittle  bulk  shivered  into  a  thousand 
fragments. 

Thialfi  ran  to  his  master  and  tried  to  raise 
him.  The  giant's  great  foot  still  rested  upon 
his  neck,  and  all  Thialfi's  strength  could  not 
move  it  away.  Swift  as  the  wind  he  ran  for 
the  other  ^Esir,  and  when  they  heard  that 
great  Thor,  their  champion,  had  fallen  and 
seemed  like  one  dead,  they  came  rushing  to 
the  spot  in  horror  and  confusion.  Together 
they  all  attempted  to  raise  Hrungnir's  foot 
from  Thor's  neck  that  they  might  see 
whether  their  hero  lived  or  no.  But  all  their 
efforts  were  in  vain.  The  foot  was  not  to  be 
lifted  by  ^Esir-might. 

At  this  moment  a  second  hero  appeared 
upon  the  scene.  It  was  Magni,  the  son  of 
Thor  himself;  Magni,  who  was  but  three 
days  old,  yet  already  in  his  babyhood  he  was 
almost  as  big  as  a  giant  and  had  nearly  the 
strength  of  his  father.  This  wonderful  young- 
ster came  running  to  the  place  where  his 
father  lay  surrounded  by  a  group  of  sad- 
faced  and  despairing  gods.  When  Magni 
saw  what  the  matter  was,  he  seized  Hrung- 
nir's enormous  foot  in  both  his  hands,  heaved 


204  THOR'S  DUEL 

his  broad  young  shoulders,  and  in  a  moment 
Thor's  neck  was  free  of  the  weight  which 
was  crushing  it. 

Best  of  all,  it  proved  that  Thor  was  not 
dead,  only  stunned  by  the  blow  of  the  giant's 
club  and  by  his  fall.  He  stirred,  sat  up  pain- 
fully, and  looked  around  him  at  the  group  of 
eager  friends.  "  Who  lifted  the  weight  from 
my  neck  *?  "  he  asked. 

"  It  was  I,  father,"  answered  Magni  mod- 
estly. Thor  clasped  him  in  his  arms  and 
hugged  him  tight,  beaming  with  pride  and 
gratitude. 

"  Truly,  you  are  a  fine  child ! "  he  cried  : 
"  one  to  make  glad  your  father's  heart.  Now 
as  a  reward  for  your  first  great  deed  you 
shall  have  a  gift  from  me.  The  swift  horse 
of  Hrungnir  shall  be  yours,  —  that  same 
Gullfaxi  who  was  the  beginning  of  all  this 
trouble.  You  shall  ride  Gullfaxi;  only  a 
giant  steed  is  strong  enough  to  bear  the 
weight  of  such  an  infant  prodigy  as  you,  my 
Magni." 

Now  this  word  did  not  wholly  please 
Father  Odin,  for  he  thought  that  a  horse  so 
excellent  ought  to  belong  to  him.  He  took 


THOR'S   DUEL  205 

Thor  aside  and  argued  that  but  for  him  there 
would  have  been  no  duel,  no  horse  to  win. 
Thor  answered  simply,  — 

"True,  Father  Odin,  you  began  this  trouble 
But  I  have  fought  your  battle,  destroyed 
your  enemy,  and  suffered  great  pain  for  you. 
Surely,  I  have  won  the  horse  fairly  and  may 
give  it  to  whom  I  choose.  My  son,  who  has 
saved  me,  deserves  a  horse  as  good  as  any. 
Yet,  as  you  have  proved,  even  Gullfaxi  is 
scarce  a  match  for  your  Sleipnir.  Verily, 
Father  Odin,  you  should  be  content  with  the 
best."  Odin  said  no  more. 

Now  Thor  went  home  to  his  cloud-palace 
in  Thrudvang.  And  there  he  was  healed  of 
all  his  hurts  except  that  which  the  splinter 
of  stone  had  made  in  his  forehead.  For  the 
stone  was  imbedded  so  fast  that  it  could  not 
be  taken  out,  and  Thor  suffered  sorely  there- 
for. Sif,  his  yellow-haired  wife,  was  in  de- 
spair, knowing  not  what  to  do.  At  last  she 
bethought  her  of  the  wise  woman,  Groa,  who 
had  skill  in  all  manner  of  herbs  and  witch 
charms.  Sif  sent  for  Groa,  who  lived  ali 
alone  and  sad  because  her  husband  Orvandi. 
had  disappeared,  she  knew  not  whither.  Groa 


206  THOR'S   DUEL 

came  to  Thor  and,  standing  beside  his  bed 
while  he  slept,  sang  strange  songs  and  gently 
waved  her  hands  over  him.  Immediately  the 
stone  in  his  forehead  began  to  loosen,  and 
Thor  opened  his  eyes. 

"  The  stone  is  loosening,  the  stone  is  com- 
ing out !  "  he  cried.  "  How  can  I  reward  you, 
gentle  dame  ?  Prithee,  what  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  Groa,"  answered  the  woman, 
weeping,  "  wife  of  Orvandil  who  is  lost." 

"  Now,  then,  I  can  reward  you,  kind  Groa!" 
cried  Thor,  "  for  I  can  bring  you  tidings  of 
your  husband.  I  met  him  in  the  cold  country, 
in  Jotunheim,  the  Land  of  Giants,  which  you 
know  I  sometimes  visit  for  a  bit  of  good 
hunting.  It  was  by  Elivagar's  icy  river  that 
I  met  Orvandil,  and  there  was  no  way  for 
him  to  cross.  So  I  put  him  in  an  iron  basket 
and  myself  bore  him  over  the  flood.  Br-r-r  ! 
But  that  is  a  cold  land !  His  feet  stuck  out 
through  the  meshes  of  the  basket,  and  when 
we  reached  the  other  side  one  of  his  toes  was 
frozen  stiff.  So  I  broke  it  off  and  tossed 
it  up  into  the  sky  that  it  might  become  a 
star.  To  prove  that  what  I  relate  is  true, 
Groa,  there  is  the  new  star  shining  over  us 


THOR'S  DUEL  207 

at  this  very  moment.  Look !  From  this  day 
it  shall  be  known  to  men  as  Orvandil's  Toe. 
Do  not  you  weep  any  longer.  After  all,  the 
loss  of  a  toe  is  a  little  thing ;  and  I  promise 
that  your  husband  shall  soon  return  to  you, 
safe  and  sound,  but  for  that  small  token  of 
his  wanderings  in  the  land  where  visitors  are 
not  welcome." 

At  these  joyful  tidings  poor  Groa  was  so 
overcome  that  she  fainted.  And  that  put  an 
end  to  the  charm  which  she  was  weaving  to 
loosen  the  stone  from  Thor's  forehead.  The 
stone  was  not  yet  wholly  free,  and  thence- 
forth it  was  in  vain  to  attempt  its  removal ; 
Thor  must  always  wear  the  splinter  in  his 
forehead.  Groa  could  never  forgive  herself 
for  the  carelessness  which  had  thus  made  her 
skill  vain  to  help  one  to  whom  she  had  rea- 
son to  be  so  grateful. 

Now  because  of  the  bit  of  whetstone  in 
Thor's  forehead,  folk  of  olden  times  were 
very  careful  how  they  used  a  whetstone ;  and 
especially  they  knew  that  they  must  not  throw 
or  drop  one  on  the  floor.  For  when  they  did 
so,  the  splinter  in  Thor's  forehead  was  jarred, 
and  the  good  Asa  suffered  great  pain. 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

ALTHOUGH  Thor  had  slain  Thiasse 
/-\  the  giant  builder,  Thrym  the  thief, 
Hrungnir,  and  Hymir,  and  had  rid 
the  world  of  whole  families  of  wicked  giants, 
there  remained  many  others  in  Jotunheim 
to  do  their  evil  deeds  and  to  plot  mischief 
against  both  gods  and  men ;  and  of  these 
Geirrod  was  the  fiercest  and  the  wickedest. 
He  and  his  two  ugly  daughters  —  Gialp  of 
the  red  eyes,  and  Greip  of  the  black  teeth 
—  lived  in  a  large  palace  among  the  moun- 
tains, where  Geirrod  had  his  treasures  of 
iron  and  copper,  silver  and  gold  ;  for,  since 
the  death  of  Thrym,  Geirrod  was  the  Lord 
of  the  Mines,  and  all  the  riches  that  came 
out  of  the  earth-caverns  belonged  to  him. 

Thrym  had  been  Geirrod's  friend,  and  the 
tale  of  Thrym's  death  through  the  might 
of  Thor  and  his  hammer  had  made  Geirrod 
very  sad  and  angry.  "  If  I  could  but  catch 
Thor,  now,  without  his  weapons,"  he  said 
to  his  daughters,  "what  a  lesson  I  would 
give  him !  How  I  would  punish  him  for 
his  deeds  against  us  giants  ! " 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE     209 

"Oh,  what  would  you  do,  father?"  cried 
Gialp,  twinkling  her  cruel  red  eyes,  and 
working  her  claw  fingers  as  if  she  would 
like  to  fasten  them  in  Thor's  golden  beard. 

"  Oh,  what  would  you  do,  father  ?  "  cried 
Greip,  smacking  her  lips  and  grinding  her 
black  teeth  as  if  she  would  like  a  bite  out 
of  Thor's  stout  arm. 

"  Do  to  him  ! "  growled  Geirrod  fiercely. 
"  Do  to  him  !  Gr-r-r !  I  would  chew  him 
all  up  !  I  would  break  his  bones  into  little 
bits  !  I  would  smash  him  into  jelly  ! " 

"  Oh,  good,  good !  Do  it,  father,  and  then 
give  him  to  us  to  play  with,"  cried  Gialp 
and  Greip,  dancing  up  and  down  till  the 
hills  trembled  and  all  the  frightened  sheep 
ran  home  to  their  folds  thinking  that  there 
must  be  an  earthquake  ;  for  Gialp  was  as 
tall  as  a  pine-tree  and  many  times  as  thick, 
while  Greip,  her  little  sister,  was  as  large 
around  as  a  haystack  and  high  as  a  flag- 
staff. They  both  hoped  some  day  to  be  as 
huge  as  their  father,  whose  legs  were  so 
long  that  he  could  step  across  the  river  val- 
leys from  one  hilltop  to  another,  just  as 
we  human  folk  cross  a  brook  on  stepping- 


aio     IN  THE  GIANTS  HOUSE 

stones ;  and  his  arms  were  so  stout  that  he 
could  lift  a  yoke  of  oxen  in  each  fist,  as  if 
they  were  red-painted  toys. 

Geirrod  shook  his  head  at  his  two  play- 
ful daughters  and  sighed.  "  We  must  catch 
Master  Thor  first,  my  girls,  before  we  do 
these  fine  things  to  him.  We  must  catch 
him  without  his  mighty  hammer,  that  never 
fails  him,  and  without  his  belt,  that  doubles 
his  strength  whenever  he  puts  it  on,  or  even 
I  cannot  chew  and  break  and  smash  him  as 
he  deserves ;  for  with  these  his  weapons  he 
is  the  mightiest  creature  in  the  whole  world, 
and  I  would  rather  meddle  with  thunder 
and  lightning  than  with  him.  Let  us  wait, 
children." 

Then  Gialp  and  Greip  pouted  and  sulked 
like  two  great  babies  who  cannot  have  the 
new  plaything  which  they  want ;  and  very 
ugly  they  were  to  see,  with  tears  as  big  as 
oranges  rolling  down  their  cheeks. 

Sooner  than  they  expected  they  came 
very  near  to  having  their  heart's  desire  ful- 
filled. And  if  it  had  happened  as  they 
wished,  and  if  Asgard  had  lost  its  good- 
liest hero,  its  strongest  defense,  that  would 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    211 

have  been  red  Loki's  fault,  all  Loki's  evil 
planning ;  for  you  are  now  to  hear  of  the 
wickedest  thing  that  up  to  this  time  Loki 
had  ever  done.  As  you  know,  it  was  Loki 
who  was  Thor's  bitterest  enemy;  and  for 
many  months  he  had  been  awaiting  the 
chance  to  repay  the  Thunder  Lord  for  the 
dole  which  Thor  had  brought  upon  him  at 
the  time  of  the  dwarf's  gifts  to  Asgard. 

This  is  how  it  came  about :  Loki  had 
long  remembered  the  fun  of  skimming  as 
a  great  bird  in  Freia's  falcon  feathers.  He 
had  longed  to  borrow  the  wings  once  again 
and  to  fly  away  over  the  round  world  to  sec 
what  he  could  see  ;  for  he  thought  that 
so  he  could  learn  many  secrets  which  he 
was  not  meant  to  know,  and  plan  won- 
derful mischief  without  being  found  out. 
But  Freia  would  not  again  loan  her  feather 
dress  to  Loki.  She  owed  him  a  grudge  for 
naming  her  as  Thrym's  bride ;  and  besides, 
she  remembered  his  treatment  of  Idun,  and 
she  did  not  trust  his  oily  tongue  and  fine 
promises.  So  Loki  saw  no  way  but  to  bor« 
row  the  feathers  without  leave ;  and  this  he 
did  one  day  when  Freia  was  gone  to  ride  in 


212     IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

her  chariot  drawn  by  white  cats.  Loki  put 
on  the  feather  dress,  as  he  had  done  twice 
before,  —  once  when  he  went  to  Jotunheim 
to  bring  back  stolen  Idun  and  her  magic 
apples,  once  when  he  went  to  find  out  about 
Thor's  hammer. 

Away  he  flew  from  Asgard  as  birdlike 
as  you  please,  chuckling  to  himself  with 
wicked  thoughts.  It  did  not  make  any  par- 
ticular difference  to  him  where  he  went.  It 
was  such  fun  to  flap  and  fly,  skim  and 
wheel,  looking  and  feeling  for  all  the  world 
like  a  big  brown  falcon.  He  swooped  low, 
thinking,  "  I  wonder  what  Freia  would  say 
to  see  me  now  !  Whee-e-e  !  How  angry 
she  would  be ! "  Just  then  he  spied  the 
high  wall  of  a  palace  on  the  mountains. 

"  Oho  ! "  said  Loki.  "  I  never  saw  that 
place  before.  It  may  be  a  giant's  dwelling. 
I  think  this  must  be  Jotunheim,  from  the 
bigness  of  things.  I  must  just  peep  to  see." 
Loki  was  the  most  inquisitive  of  creatures, 
as  wily  minded  folk  are  apt  to  be. 

Loki  the  falcon  alighted  and  hopped  to 
the  wall,  then  giving  a  flap  of  his  wings  he 
flew  up  and  up  to  the  window  ledge,  where 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    213 

he  perched  and  peered  into  the  hall.  And 
there  within  he  saw  the  giant  Geirrod  with 
his  daughters  eating  their  dinner.  They 
looked  so  ugly  and  so  greedy,  as  they  sat 
there  gobbling  their  food  in  giant  mouth- 
fuls,  that  Loki  on  the  window-sill  could 
not  help  snickering  to  himself.  Now  at  that 
sound  Geirrod  looked  up  and  saw  the  big 
brown  bird  peeping  in  at  the  window. 

"  Heigha  ! "  cried  the  giant  to  one  of  his 
servants.  "Go  you  and  fetch  me  the  big 
brown  bird  up  yonder  in  the  window." 

Then  the  servant  ran  to  the  wall  and  tried 
to  climb  up  to  get  at  Loki ;  but  the  window 
was  so  high  that  he  could  not  reach.  He 
jumped  and  slipped,  scrambled  and  slipped, 
again  and  again,  while  Loki  sat  just  above 
his  clutching  fingers,  and  chuckled  so  that  he 
nearly  fell  from  his  perch.  "  Te-he  !  te-he  ! " 
chattered  Loki  in  the  falcon  tongue.  It  was 
such  fun  to  see  the  fellow  grow  black  in 
the  face  with  trying  to  reach  him  that  Loki 
thought  he  would  wait  until  the  giant's  fin- 
gers almost  touched  him,  before  flying  away. 

But  Loki  waited  too  long.  At  last,  with 
a  quick  spring,  the  giant  gained  a  hold  upon 


214     IN  THE  GIANTS  HOUSE 

the  window  ledge,  and  Loki  was  within  reach. 
When  Loki  flapped  his  wings  to  fly,  he 
found  that  his  feet  were  tangled  in  the  vine 
that  grew  upon  the  wall.  He  struggled  and 
twisted  with  all  his  might,  —  but  in  vain. 
There  he  was,  caught  fast.  Then  the  ser- 
vant grasped  him  by  the  legs,  and  so  brought 
him  to  Geirrod,  where  he  sat  at  table.  Now 
Loki  in  his  feather  dress  looked  exactly  like 
a  falcon  —  except  for  his  eyes.  There  was 
no  hiding  the  wise  and  crafty  look  of  Loki's 
eyes.  As  soon  as  Geirrod  looked  at  him,  he 
suspected  that  this  was  no  ordinary  bird. 

"  You  are  no  falcon,  you  ! "  he  cried. 
"You  are  spying  about  my  palace  in  dis- 
guise. Speak,  and  tell  me  who  you  are." 
Loki  was  afraid  to  tell,  because  he  knew 
the  giants  were  angry  with  him  for  his  part 
in  Thrym's  death,  —  small  though  his  part 
had  really  been  in  that  great  deed.  So  he 
kept  his  beak  closed  tight,  and  refused  to 
speak.  The  giant  stormed  and  raged  and 
threatened  to  kill  him ;  but  still  Loki  was 
silent. 

Then  Geirrod  locked  the  falcon  up  in  a 
chest  for  three  long  months  without  food  or 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    215 

water,  to  see  how  that  would  suit  his  bird- 
ship.  You  can  imagine  how  hungry  and 
thirsty  Loki  was  at  the  end  of  that  time,  — 
ready  to  tell  anything  he  knew,  and  more 
also,  for  the  sake  of  a  crumb  of  bread  and 
a  drop  of  water. 

So  then  Geirrod  called  through  the  key- 
hole, "  Well,  Sir  Falcon,  now  will  you  tell 
me  who  you  are*?"  And  this  time  Loki 
piped  feebly,  "  I  am  Loki  of  Asgard ;  give 
me  something  to  eat ! " 

"  Oho  !  "  quoth  the  giant  fiercely.  "  You 
are  that  Loki  who  went  with  Thor  to  kill 
my  brother  Thrym !  Oho  !  Well,  you  shall 
die  for  that,  my  feathered  friend ! " 

"No,  no!"  screamed  Loki.  "Thor  is  no 
friend  of  mine.  I  love  the  giants  far  better ! 
One  of  them  is  my  wife  !  "  —  which  was 
indeed  true,  as  were  few  of  Loki's  words. 

"  Then  if  Thor  is  no  friend  of  yours,  to 
save  your  life  will  you  bring  him  into  my 
power  *?  "  asked  Geirrod. 

Loki's  eyes  gleamed  wickedly  among  the 
feathers.  Here  all  at  once  was  his  chance 
to  be  free,  and  to  have  his  revenge  upon 
Thor,  his  worst  enemy.  "  Ay,  that  I  will !  " 


ai6     IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

he  cried  eagerly.  "  I  will  bring  Thor  into 
•your  power." 

So  Geirrod  made  him  give  a  solemn  pro- 
mise to  do  that  wrong;  and  upon  this  he 
loosed  Loki  from  the  chest  and  gave  him 
food.  Then  they  formed  the  wicked  plan 
together,  while  Gialp  and  Greip,  the  giant's 
ugly  daughters,  listened  and  smacked  their 
lips. 

Loki  was  to  persuade  Thor  to  come  with 
him  to  Geirrodsgard.  More ;  he  must  come 
without  his  mighty  hammer,  and  without 
the  iron  gloves  of  power,  and  without  the 
belt  of  strength  ;  for  so  only  could  the  giant 
have  Thor  at  his  mercy. 

After  their  wicked  plans  were  made,  Loki 
bade  a  friendly  farewell  to  Geirrod  and  his 
daughters  and  flew  back  to  Asgard  as 
quickly  as  he  could.  You  may  be  sure  he 
had  a  sound  scolding  from  Freia  for  stealing 
her  feather  dress  and  for  keeping  it  so  long. 
But  he  told  such  a  pitiful  story  of  being 
kept  prisoner  by  a  cruel  giant,  and  he  looked 
in  truth  so  pale  and  thin  from  his  long  fast, 
that  the  gods  were  fain  to  pity  him  and  to 
believe  his  story,  in  spite  of  the  many  times 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    217 

that  he  had  deceived  them.  Indeed,  most  of 
his  tale  was  true,  but  he  told  only  half  of  the 
truth ;  for  he  spoke  no  word  of  his  promise 
to  the  giant  This  he  kept  hidden  in  his 
breast. 

Now,  one  day  not  long  after  this,  Loki  in- 
vited Thor  to  go  on  a  journey  with  him  to 
visit  a  new  friend  who,  he  said,  was  anxious 
to  know  the  Thunder  Lord.  Loki  was  so 
pleasant  in  his  manner  and  seemed  so  frank 
in  his  speech  that  Thor,  whose  heart  was 
simple  and  unsuspicious,  never  dreamed  of 
any  wrong,  not  even  when  Loki  added,  — 
"  And  by  the  bye,  my  Thor,  you  must  leave 
behind  your  hammer,  your  belt,  and  your 
gloves ;  for  it  would  show  little  courtesy  to 
wear  such  weapons  in  the  home  of  a  new 
friend." 

Thor  carelessly  agreed  ;  for  he  was  pleased 
with  the  idea  of  a  new  adventure,  and  with 
the  thought  of  making  a  new  friend.  Be- 
sides, on  their  last  journey  together,  Loki 
had  behaved  so  well  that  Thor  believed  him 
to  have  changed  his  evil  ways  and  to  have 
become  his  friend.  So  together  they  set  of 
in  Thor's  goat  chariot,  without  weapons  ot 


2i 8     IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

any  kind  except  those  which  Loki  secretly 
carried.  Loki  chuckled  as  they  rattled  over 
the  clouds,  and  if  Thor  had  seen  the  look  in 
his  eyes,  he  would  have  turned  the  chariot 
back  to  Asgard  and  to  safety,  where  he  had 
left  gentle  Sif  his  wife.  But  Thor  did  not 
notice,  and  so  they  rumbled  on. 

Soon  they  came  to  the  gate  of  Giant 
Land.  Thor  thought  this  strange,  for  he 
knew  they  were  like  to  find  few  friends  of 
his  dwelling  among  the  Big  Folk.  For  the 
first  time  he  began  to  suspect  Loki  of  some 
treacherous  scheme.  However,  he  said  no- 
thing, and  pretended  to  be  as  gay  and  care- 
less as  before.  But  he  thought  of  a  plan  to 
find  out  the  truth. 

Close  by  the  entrance  was  the  cave  of 
Grid,  a  good  giantess,  who  alone  of  all  her 
race  was  a  friend  of  Thor  and  of  the  folk  in 
Asgard. 

"  I  will  alight  here  for  a  moment,  Loki," 
said  Thor  carelessly.  "  I  long  for  a  draught 
of  water.  Hold  you  the  goats  tightly  by  the 
reins  until  I  return." 

So  he  went  into  the  cave  and  got  his 
draught  of  water.  But  while  he  was  drink- 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    219 

ing,  he  questioned  good  mother  Grid  to 
some  purpose. 

"  Who  is  this  friend  Geirrod  whom  I  go 
to  see  ?  "  he  asked  her. 

"  Geirrod  your  friend !  You  go  to  see 
Geirrod ! "  she  exclaimed.  "  He  is  the  wick- 
edest giant  of  us  all,  and  no  friend  to  you. 
Why  do  you  go,  dear  Thor  ?  " 

"H'm!"  muttered  Thor.  "Red  Loki's 
mischief  again ! "  He  told  her  of  the  visit 
that  Loki  had  proposed,  and  how  he  had 
left  at  home  the  belt,  the  gloves,  and  the 
hammer  which  made  him  stronger  than  any 
giant.  Then  Grid  was  frightened. 

"  Go  not,  go  not,  Thor ! "  she  begged. 
"  Geirrod  will  kill  you,  and  those  ugly  girls, 
Gialp  and  Greip,  will  have  the  pleasure  of 
crunching  your  bones.  Oh,  I  know  them 
well,  the  hussies !  " 

But  Thor  declared  that  he  would  go, 
whether  or  no.  "  I  have  promised  Loki  that 
I  will  go,"  he  said,  "and  go  I  will;  for  I 
always  keep  my  word." 

"  Then  you  shall  have  three  little  gifts  of 
me,"  quoth  she.  "  Here  is  my  belt  of  power 
—  for  I  also  have  one  like  your  own."  And 


220    IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

she  buckled  about  his  waist  a  great  belt,  at 
whose  touch  he  felt  his  strength  redoubled. 
"  This  is  my  iron  glove,"  she  said,  as  she  put 
one  on  his  mighty  hand,  "  and  with  it,  as 
with  your  own,  you  can  handle  lightning  and 
touch  unharmed  the  hottest  of  red-hot  metal. 
And  here,  last  of  all,"  she  added,  "  is  Gridar- 
voll,  my  good  staff,  which  you  may  find 
useful.  Take  them,  all  three ;  and  may  Sif 
see  you  safe  at  home  again  by  their  aid." 

Thor  thanked  her  and  went  out  once  more 
to  join  Loki,  who  never  suspected  what  had 
happened  in  the  cave.  For  the  belt  and  the 
glove  were  hidden  under  Thor's  cloak.  And 
as  for  the  staff,  it  was  quite  ordinary  looking, 
as  if  Thor  might  have  picked  it  up  anywhere 
along  the  road. 

On  they  journeyed  until  they  came  to  the 
river  Vimer,  the  greatest  of  all  rivers,  which 
roared  and  tossed  in  a  terrible  way  between 
them  and  the  shore  which  they  wanted  to 
reach.  It  seemed  impossible  to  cross.  But 
Thor  drew  his  belt  a  little  tighter,  and  plant- 
ing Grid's  staff  firmly  on  the  bottom,  stepped 
out  into  the  stream.  Loki  clung  behind  to 
his  cloak,  frightened  out  of  his  wits.  But  Thoi 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE    221 

waded  on  bravely,  his  strength  doubled  by 
Grid's  belt,  and  his  steps  supported  by  her 
magic  staff.  Higher  and  higher  the  waves 
washed  over  his  knees,  his  waist,  his  shoul- 
ders, as  if  they  were  fierce  to  drown  him. 
And  Thor  said,  — 

"Ho  there,  river  Vimer!  Do  not  grow 
any  larger,  I  pray.  It  is  of  no  use.  The 
more  you  crowd  upon  me,  the  mightier  I 
grow  with  my  belt  and  my  staff! " 

But  lo !  as  he  nearly  reached  the  other 
side,  Thor  spied  some  one  hiding  close  down 
by  the  bank  of  the  river.  It  was  Gialp  of  the 
red  eyes,  the  big  elder  daughter  of  Geirrod. 
She  was  splashing  the  water  upon  Thor, 
making  the  great  waves  that  rolled  up  and 
threatened  to  drown  him. 

"  Oho ! "  cried  he.  "  So  it  is  you  who  are 
making  the  river  rise,  big  little  girl.  We 
must  see  to  that ; "  and  seizing  a  huge  boul- 
der, he  hurled  it  at  her.  It  hit  her  with  a 
thud,  for  Thor's  aim  never  missed.  Giving 
a  scream  as  loud  as  a  steam-whistle,  Gialp 
limped  home  as  best  she  could  to  tell  her 
father,  and  to  prepare  a  warm  reception  for 
the  stranger  who  bore  Loki  at  his  back. 


222     IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

When  Thor  had  pulled  himself  out  of 
the  river  by  some  bushes,  he  soon  came  to  the 
palace  which  Loki  had  first  sighted  in  his 
falcon  dress.  And  there  he  found  everything 
most  courteously  made  ready  for  him.  He 
and  Loki  were  received  like  dear  old  friends, 
with  shouts  of  rejoicing  and  ringing  of  bells. 
Geirrod  himself  came  out  to  meet  them,  and 
would  have  embraced  his  new  friend  Thor; 
but  the  Thunder  Lord  merely  seized  him  by 
the  hand  and  gave  him  so  hearty  a  squeeze 
with  the  iron  glove  that  the  giant  howled 
with  pain.  Yet  he  could  say  nothing,  for  Thor 
looked  pleased  and  gentle.  And  Geirrod 
said  to  himself,  "  Ho,  ho,  my  fine  little 
Thor !  I  will  soon  pay  you  for  that  hand- 
shake, and  for  many  things  beside." 

All  this  time  Gialp  and  Greip  did  not  ap- 
pear, and  Loki  also  had  taken  himself  away, 
to  be  out  of  danger  when  the  hour  of  Thor's 
death  should  come.  For  he  feared  that  dread- 
ful things  might  happen  before  Thor  died ; 
and  he  did  not  want  to  be  remembered  by 
the  big  fist  of  the  companion  whom  he  had 
betrayed.  Loki,  having  kept  his  promise  to 
the  giant,  was  even  now  far  on  the  road  back 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE     223 

to  Asgard,  where  he  meant  with  a  sad  face 
to  tell  the  gods  that  Thor  had  been  slain  by  a 
horrible  giant;  but  never  to  tell  them  how. 

So  Thor  was  all  alone  when  the  servants 
led  him  to  the  chamber  which  Geirrod  had 
made  ready  for  his  dear  friend.  It  was  a 
wonderfully  fine  chamber,  to  be  sure;  but 
the  strange  thing  about  it  was  that  among  the 
furnishings  there  was  but  one  chair,  a  giant 
chair,  with  a  drapery  all  about  the  legs.  Now 
Thor  was  very  weary  with  his  long  journey, 
and  he  sat  down  in  the  chair  to  rest.  Then, 
wonderful  to  tell !  —  if  elevators  had  been  in- 
vented in  those  days,  he  might  have  thought 
he  was  in  one.  For  instantly  the  seat  of  the 
chair  shot  up  towards  the  roof,  and  against 
this  he  was  in  danger  of  being  crushed  as 
Geirrod  had  longed  to  see  him.  But  quick 
as  a  flash  Thor  raised  the  staff  which  good 
old  Grid  had  given  him,  and  pushed  it 
against  the  rafters  with  all  his  might  to  stop 
his  upward  journey.  It  was  a  tremendous 
push  that  he  gave.  Something  cracked ;  some- 
thing crashed ;  the  chair  fell  to  the  ground 
as  Thor  leaped  off  the  seat,  and  there  were 
two  terrible  screams. 


224    IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE 

Then  Thor  found  —  what  do  you  think  ? 
Why,  that  Gialp  and  Greip,  the  giant's 
daughters,  had  hidden  under  the  seat  of  the 
chair,  and  had  lifted  it  up  on  their  backs  to 
crush  Thor  against  the  roof!  But  instead  of 
that,  it  was  Thor  who  had  broken  their  backs, 
so  that  they  lay  dead  upon  the  floor  like 
limp  rag  dolls. 

Now  this  little  exercise  had  only  given 
Thor  an  excellent  appetite  for  supper.  So 
that  when  word  came  bidding  him  to  the 
banquet,  he  was  very  glad. 

"First,"  said  big  Geirrod,  grinning  hor- 
ribly, for  he  did  not  know  what  had  hap- 
pened to  his  daughters,  —  "  first  we  will  see 
some  games,  friend  Thor." 

Then  Thor  came  into  the  hall,  where  fires 
were  burning  in  great  chimney  places  along 
the  walls.  "  It  is  here  that  we  play  our 
little  games,"  cried  Geirrod.  And  on  the  mo- 
ment, seizing  a  pair  of  tongs,  he  snatched  a 
red-hot  wedge  of  iron  from  one  of  the  fires 
and  hurled  it  straight  at  Thor's  head.  But 
Thor  was  quicker  than  he.  Swift  as  a  flash 
he  caught  the  flying  spark  in  his  iron  glove, 
and  calling  forth  all  the  might  of  Grid's 


IN  THE  GIANT'S  HOUSE     225 

belt,  he  cast  the  wedge  back  at  the  giant. 
Geirrod  dodged  behind  an  iron  pillar,  but  it 
was  in  vain.  Thor's  might  was  such  as  no 
iron  could  meet.  Like  a  bolt  of  lightning 
the  wedge  passed  through  the  pillar,  through 
Geirrod  himself,  through  the  thick  wall  of 
the  palace,  and  buried  itself  deep  in  the 
ground,  where  it  lodges  to  this  day,  unless 
some  one  has  dug  it  up  to  sell  for  old  iron. 

So  perished  Geirrod  and  his  children,  one 
of  the  wickedest  families  of  giants  that  ever 
lived  in  Jotunheim.  And  so  Thor  escaped 
from  the  snares  of  Loki,  who  had  never  done 
deed  worse  than  this. 

When  Thor  returned  home  to  Asgard, 
where  from  Loki's  lying  tale  he  found  all  the 
gods  mourning  him  as  dead,  you  can  fancy 
what  a  joyful  reception  he  had.  But  for  Loki, 
the  false-hearted,  false-tongued  traitor  to  them 
all,  there  was  only  hatred.  He  no  longer 
had  any  friends  among  the  good  folk.  The 
wicked  giants  and  the  monsters  of  Utgard 
were  now  his  only  friends,  for  he  had  grown 
to  be  like  them,  and  even  these  did  not  trust 
him  overmuch. 


BALDER  AND  THE  MIS- 
TLETOE    ** 


E~KI  had  given  up  trying  to  revenge 
himself  upon  Thor.  The  Thunder 
Lord  seemed  proof  against  his  tricks. 
And  indeed  nowadays  Loki  hated  him  no 
more  than  he  did  the  other  gods.  He  hated 
some  because  they  always  frowned  at  him  ; 
he  hated  others  because  they  only  laughed 
and  jeered.  Some  he  hated  for  their  distrust 
and  some  for  their  fear.  But  he  hated  them 
all  because  they  were  happy  and  good  and 
mighty,  while  he  was  wretched,  bad,  and  of 
little  might.  Yet  it  was  all  his  own  fault  that 
this  was  so.  He  might  have  been  an  equal 
with  the  best  of  them,  if  he  had  not  chosen 
to  set  himself  against  everything  that  was 
good.  He  had  made  them  all  his  enemies, 
and  the  more  he  did  to  injure  them,  the  more 
he  hated  them,  —  which  is  always  the  way 
with  evil-doers.  Loki  longed  to  see  them 
all  unhappy.  He  slunk  about  in  Asgard  with 
a  glum  face  and  wrinkled  forehead.  He  dared 
not  meet  the  eyes  of  any  one,  lest  they  should 
read  his  heart.  For  he  was  plotting  evil,  the 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  227 

greatest  of  evils,  which  should  bring  sorrow 
to  all  his  enemies  at  once  and  turn  Asgard 
into  a  land  of  mourning.  The  ^Esir  did  not 
guess  the  whole  truth,  yet  they  felt  the  bit- 
terness of  the  thoughts  which  Loki  bore; 
and  whenever  in  the  dark  he  passed  unseen, 
the  gods  shuddered  as  if  a  breath  of  evil  had 
blown  upon  them,  and  even  the  flowers 
drooped  before  his  steps. 

Now  at  this  time  Balder  the  beautiful  had 
a  strange  dream.  He  dreamed  that  a  cloud 
came  before  the  sun,  and  all  Asgard  was 
dark.  He  waited  for  the  cloud  to  drift  away, 
and  for  the  sun  to  smile  again.  But  no ;  the 
sun  was  gone  forever,  he  thought;  and  Bal- 
der awoke  feeling  very  sad.  The  next  night 
Balder  had  another  dream.  This  time  he 
dreamed  that  it  was  still  dark  as  before ;  the 
flowers  were  withered  and  the  gods  were 
growing  old;  even  Idun's  magic  apples 
could  not  make  them  young  again.  And  all 
were  weeping  and  wringing  their  hands  as 
though  some  dreadful  thing  had  happened. 
Balder  awoke  feeling  strangely  frightened, 
yet  he  said  no  word  to  Nanna  his  wife,  for 
he  did  not  want  to  trouble  her. 


228  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

When  it  came  night  again  Balder  slept 
and  dreamed  a  third  dream,  a  still  more  terri- 
ble one  than  the  other  two  had  been.  He 
thought  that  in  the  dark,  lonely  world  there 
was  nothing  but  a  sad  voice,  which  cried, 
"  The  sun  is  gone  !  The  spring  is  gone  ! 
Joy  is  gone !  For  Balder  the  beautiful  is 
dead,  dead,  dead  !  " 

This  time  Balder  awoke  with  a  cry,  and 
Nanna  asked  him  what  was  the  matter.  So 
he  had  to  tell  her  of  his  dream,  and  he  was 
sadly  frightened ;  for  in  those  days  dreams 
were  often  sent  to  folk  as  messages,  and 
what  the  gods  dreamed  usually  came  true. 
Nanna  ran  sobbing  to  Queen  Frigg,  who 
was  Balder's  mother,  and  told  her  all  the 
dreadful  dream,  asking  what  could  be  done 
to  prevent  it  from  coming  true. 

Now  Balder  was  Queen  Frigg's  dearest 
son.  Thor  was  older  and  stronger,  and  more 
famous  for  his  great  deeds ;  but  Frigg  loved 
far  better  gold-haired  Balder.  And  indeed  he 
was  the  best-beloved  of  all  the  JEsir  ;  for 
he  was  gentle,  fair,  and  wise,  and  wherever 
he  went  folk  grew  happy  and  light-hearted 
at  the  very  sight  of  him,  just  as  we  do  when 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  229 

we  first  catch  a  glimpse  of  spring  peeping 
over  the  hilltop  into  Winterland.  So  when 
Frigg  heard  of  Raider's  woeful  dream,  she 
was  frightened  almost  out  of  her  wits. 

"  He  must  not  die  !  He  shall  not  die  ! " 
she  cried.  "He  is  so  dear  to  all  the  world, 
how  could  there  be  anything  which  would 
hurt  him  <?  " 

And  then  a  wonderful  thought  came  to 
Frigg.  "  I  will  travel  over  the  world  and 
make  all  things  promise  not  to  injure  my 
boy,"  she  said.  "  Nothing  shall  pass  my  no- 
tice. I  will  get  the  word  of  everything." 

So  first  she  went  to  the  gods  themselves, 
gathered  on  Ida  Plain  for  their  morning  ex- 
ercise ;  and  telling  them  of  Raider's  dream, 
she  begged  them  to  give  the  promise.  Oh, 
what  a  shout  arose  when  they  heard  her 
words ! 

"  Hurt  Raider !  —  our  Raider !  Not  for  the 
world,  we  promise !  The  dream  is  wrong,  — 
there  is  nothing  so  cruel  as  to  wish  harm  to 
Raider  the  beautiful ! "  they  cried.  Rut  deep 
in  their  hearts  they  felt  a  secret  fear  which 
would  linger  until  they  should  hear  that  all 
things  had  given  their  promise.  What  if 


230  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

harm  were  indeed  to  come  to  Balder  !  The 
thought  was  too  dreadful. 

Then  Frigg  went  to  see  all  the  beasts 
who  live  in  field  or  forest  or  rocky  den. 
Willingly  they  gave  their  promise  never  to 
harm  hair  of  gentle  Balder.  "  For  he  is  ever 
kind  to  us,"  they  said,  "  and  we  love  him  as 
if  he  were  one  of  ourselves.  Not  with  claws 
or  teeth  or  hoofs  or  horns  will  any  beast  hurt 
Balder." 

Next  Frigg  spoke  to  the  birds  and  fishes, 
reptiles  and  insects.  And  all — even  the  ven- 
omous serpents  —  cried  that  Balder  was  their 
friend,  and  that  they  would  never  do  aught 
to  hurt  his  dear  body.  "  Not  with  beak  or 
talon,  bite  or  sting  or  poison  fang,  will  one 
of  us  hurt  Balder,"  they  promised. 

After  doing  this,  the  anxious  mother  trav- 
eled over  the  whole  round  world,  step  by 
step ;  and  from  all  the  things  that  are  she 
got  the  same  ready  promise  never  to  harm 
Balder  the  beautiful.  All  the  trees  and  plants 
promised ;  all  the  stones  and  metals ;  earth, 
air,  fire,  and  water ;  sun,  snow,  wind,  and 
rain,  and  all  diseases  that  men  know,  —  each 
gave  to  Frigg  the  word  of  promise  which 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  231 

she  wanted.  So  at  last,  footsore  and  weary, 
she  came  back  to  Asgard  with  the  joyful 
news  that  Balder  must  be  safe,  for  that  there 
was  nothing  in  the  world  but  had  promised 
to  be  his  harmless  friend. 

Then  there  was  rejoicing  in  Asgard,  as  if 
the  gods  had  won  one  of  their  great  victories 
over  the  giants.  The  noble  ^Esir  and  the 
heroes  who  had  died  in  battle  upon  the  earth, 
and  who  had  come  to  Valhalla  to  live  hap- 
pily ever  after,  gathered  on  Ida  Plain  to  cele- 
brate the  love  of  all  nature  for  Balder. 

There  they  invented  a  famous  game,  which 
was  to  prove  how  safe  he  was  from  the  bite 
of  death.  They  stationed  Balder  in  the  midst 
of  them,  his  face  glowing  like  the  sun  with 
the  bright  light  which  ever  shone  from  him. 
And  as  he  stood  there  all  unarmed  and  smil- 
ing, by  turns  they  tried  all  sorts  of  weapons 
against  him;  they  made  as  if  to  beat  him 
with  sticks,  they  stoned  him  with  stones, 
they  shot  at  him  with  arrows  and  hurled 
mighty  spears  straight  at  his  heart. 

It  was  a  merry  game,  and  a  shout  of 
laughter  went  up  as  each  stone  fell  harm- 
less at  Balder's  feet,  each  stick  broke  before 


232  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

it  touched  his  shoulders,  each  arrow  overshot 
his  head,  and  each  spear  turned  aside.  For 
neither  stone  nor  wood  nor  flinty  arrow-point 
nor  barb  of  iron  would  break  the  promise 
which  each  had  given.  Balder  was  safe  with 
them,  just  as  if  he  were  bewitched.  He 
remained  unhurt  among  the  missiles  which 
whizzed  about  his  head,  and  which  piled  up 
in  a  great  heap  around  the  charmed  spot 
whereon  he  stood. 

Now  among  the  crowd  that  watched  these 
games  with  such  enthusiasm,  there  was  one 
face  that  did  not  smile,  one  voice  that  did 
not  rasp  itself  hoarse  with  cheering.  Loki 
saw  how  every  one  and  every  thing  loved 
Balder,  and  he  was  jealous.  He  was  the  only 
creature  in  all  the  world  that  hated  Balder 
and  wished  for  his  death.  Yet  Balder  had 
never  done  harm  to  him.  But  the  wicked 
plan  that  Loki  had  been  cherishing  was  al- 
most ripe,  and  in  this  poison  fruit  was  the 
seed  of  the  greatest  sorrow  that  Asgard  had 
ever  known. 

While  the  others  were  enjoying  their  game" 
of  love,  Loki  stole  away  unperceived  from 
Ida  Plain,  and  with  a  wig  of  gray  hair,  a  long 


EACH  ARROW  OVERSHOT  HIS  HEAD 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  233 

gown,  and  a  staff,  disguised  himself  as  an  old 
woman.  Then  he  hobbled  down  Asgard 
streets  till  he  came  to  the  palace  of  Queen 
Frigg,  the  mother  of  Balder. 

"  Good-day,  my  lady,"  quoth  the  old  wo- 
man, in  a  cracked  voice.  "  What  is  that  noisy 
crowd  doing  yonder  in  the  green  meadow  ? 
I  am  so  deafened  by  their  shouts  that  I  can 
hardly  hear  myself  think." 

"Who  are  you,  good  mother,  that  you 
have  not  heard  ^  "  said  Queen  Frigg  in  sur- 
prise. "  They  are  shooting  at  my  son  Bal- 
der. They  are  proving  the  word  which  all 
things  have  given  me,  — =-  the  promise  not  to 
injure  my  dear  son.  Add  that  promise  will 
be  kept." 

The  old  crone  pretended  to  be  full  of  won- 
der. "  So,  now  ! "  she  cried.  "  Do  you  mean 
to  say  that  every  single  thing  in  the  whole 
world  has  promised  not  to  hurt  your  son  ? 
I  can  scarce  believe  it;  though,  to  be  sure, 
he  is  as  fine  a  fellow  as  I  ever  saw."  Of 
course  this  flattery  pleased  Frigg. 

"  You  say  true,  mother,"  she  answered 
proudly,  "  he  is  a  noble  son.  Yes,  everything 
has  promised,  —  that  is,  everything  except 


234  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

one  tiny  little  plant  that  is  not  worth  men- 
tioning." 

The  old  woman's  eyes  twinkled  wickedly. 
"And  what  is  that  foolish  little  plant,  my 
dear  *?  "  she  asked  coaxingly. 

"It  is  the  mistletoe  that  grows  in  the 
meadow  west  of  Valhalla.  It  was  too  young 
to  promise,  and  too  harmless  to  bother  with," 
answered  Frigg  carelessly. 

After  this  her  questioner  hobbled  pain- 
fully away.  But  as  soon  as  she  was  out  of 
sight  from  the  Queen's  palace,  she  picked  up 
the  skirts  of  her  gown  and  ran  as  fast  as  she 
could  to  the  meadow  west  of  Valhalla.  And 
there  sure  enough,  as  Frigg  had  said,  was  a 
tiny  sprig  of  mistletoe  growing  on  a  gnarled 
oak-tree.  The  false  Loki  took  out  a  knife 
which  she  carried  in  some  hidden  pocket  and 
cut  off  the  mistletoe  very  carefully.  Then 
she  trimmed  and  shaped  it  so  that  it  was  like 
a  little  green  arrow,  pointed  at  one  end,  but 
very  slender. 

"  Ho,  ho  !  "  chuckled  the  old  woman.  "  So 
you  are  the  only  thing  in  all  the  world  that 
is  too  young  to  make  a  promise,  my  little 
mistletoe.  Well,  young  as  you  are,  you 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  235 

must  go  on  an  errand  for  me  to-day.  And 
maybe  you  shall  bear  a  message  of  my  love 
to  Balder  the  beautiful." 

Then  she  hobbled  back  to  Ida  Plain, 
where  the  merry  game  was  still  going  on 
around  Balder.  Loki  quietly  passed  unno- 
ticed through  the  crowd,  and  came  close  to 
the  elbow  of  a  big  dark  fellow  who  was 
standing  lonely  outside  the  circle  of  weapon- 
throwers.  He  seemed  sad  and  forgotten,  and 
he  hung  his  head  in  a  pitiful  way.  It  was 
Hod,  the  blind  brother  of  Balder. 

The  old  woman  touched  his  arm.  "  Why 
do  you  not  join  the  game  with  the  others  ?  " 
she  asked,  in  her  cracked  voice.  "  Are  you 
the  only  one  to  do  your  brother  no  honor  *? 
Surely,  you  are  big  and  strong  enough  to  toss 
a  spear  with  the  best  of  them  yonder." 

Hod  touched  his  sightless  eyes  madly. 
"I  am  blind,"  he  said.  "Strength  I  have, 
greater  than  belongs  to  most  of  the  JEsir. 
But  I  cannot  see  to  aim  a  weapon.  Besides, 
I  have  no  spear  to  test  upon  him.  Yet  how 
gladly  would  I  do  honor  to  dear  Balder !  " 
and  he  sighed  deeply. 

"  It  were  a  pity  if  I  could  not  find  you  at 


236  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

least  a  little  stick  to  throw,"  said  Loki  sym- 
pathetically. "  I  am  only  a  poor  old  woman, 
and  of  course  I  have  no  weapon.  But  ah,  — 
here  is  a  green  twig  which  you  can  use  as 
an  arrow,  and  I  will  guide  your  arm,  poor 
fellow." 

Hod's  dark  face  lighted  up,  for  he  was 
eager  to  take  his  turn  in  the  game.  So  he 
thanked  her,  and  grasped  eagerly  the  little 
arrow  which  she  put  into  his  hand.  Loki 
held  him  by  the  arm,  and  together  they 
stepped  into  the  circle  which  surrounded  Bal- 
der. And  when  it  was  Hod's  turn  to  throw 
his  weapon,  the  old  woman  stood  at  his  elbow 
and  guided  his  big  arm  as  it  hurled  the  twig 
of  mistletoe  towards  where  Balder  stood. 

Oh,  the  sad  thing  that  befell !  Straight 
through  the  air  flew  the  little  arrow,  straight  as 
magic  and  Loki's  arm  could  direct  it.  Straight 
to  Balder's  heart  it  sped,  piercing  through 
jerkin  and  shirt  and  all,  to  give  its  bitter 
message  of  "  Loki's  love,"  as  he  had  said. 
With  a  cry  Balder  fell  forward  on  the  grass. 
And  that  was  the  end  of  sunshine  and  spring 
and  joy  in  Asgard,  for  the  dream  had  come 
true,  and  Balder  the  beautiful  was  dead. 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  237 

When  the  JEsir  saw  what  had  happened, 
there  was  a  great  shout  of  fear  and  horror, 
and  they  rushed  upon  Hod,  who  had  thrown 
the  fatal  arrow. 

"  What  is  it?  What  have  I  done  ?  "  asked 
the  poor  blind  brother,  trembling  at  the  tu- 
mult which  had  followed  his  shot. 

"  You  have  slain  Balder ! "  cried  the  JEsir. 
"  Wretched  Hod,  how  could  you  do  it  *?  " 

"  It  was  the  old  woman  —  the  evil  old 
woman,  who  stood  at  my  elbow  and  gave  me 
a  little  twig  to  throw,"  gasped  Hod.  "  She 
must  be  a  witch." 

Then  the  ^Esir  scattered  over  Ida  Plain  to 
look  for  the  old  woman  who  had  done  the 
evil  deed ;  but  she  had  mysteriously  disap- 
peared. 

"  It  must  be  Loki,"  said  wise  Heimdal. 
"  It  is  Loki's  last  and  vilest  trick." 

"  Oh,  my  Balder,  my  beautiful  Balder !  " 
wailed  Queen  Frigg,  throwing  herself  on  the 
body  of  her  son.  "  If  I  had  only  made  the 
mistletoe  give  me  the  promise,  you  would 
have  been  saved.  It  was  I  who  told  Loki 
of  the  mistletoe,  —  so  it  is  I  who  have  killed 
you.  Oh,  my  son,  my  son !  " 


238  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

But  Father  Odin  was  speechless  with  grief. 
His  sorrow  was  greater  than  that  of  all 
the  others,  for  he  best  understood  the  dread- 
ful misfortune  which  had  befallen  Asgard. 
Already  a  cloud  had  come  before  the  sun, 
so  that  it  would  never  be  bright  day  again. 
Already  the  flowers  had  begun  to  fade  and 
the  birds  had  ceased  to  sing.  And  already 
the  ^Esir  had  begun  to  grow  old  and  joyless, 
— all  because  the  little  mistletoe  had  been 
too  young  to  give  a  promise  to  Queen  Frigg. 

"  Balder  the  beautiful  is  dead !  "  the  cry 
went  echoing  through  all  the  world,  and 
everything  that  was  sorrowed  at  the  sound 
of  the  ^Esir's  weeping. 

Balder's  brothers  lifted  up  his  beautiful 
body  upon  their  great  war  shields  and  bore 
him  on  their  shoulders  down  to  the  seashore. 
For,  as  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  they 
were  going  to  send  him  to  Hela,  the  Queen 
of  Death,  with  all  the  things  he  best  had  loved 
in  Asgard.  And  these  were,  —  after  Nanna 
his  wife,  —  his  beautiful  horse,  and  his  ship 
Hringhorni.  So  that  they  would  place  Bal- 
der's body  upon  the  ship  with  his  horse  beside 
him,  and  set  fire  to  this  wonderful  funeral 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  239 

pile.  For  by  fire  was  the  quickest  passage  to 
Hela's  kingdom. 

But  when  they  reached  the  shore,  they 
found  that  all  the  strength  of  all  the  ^Esir  was 
unable  to  move  Hringhorni,  Raider's  ship, 
into  the  water.  For  it  was  the  largest  ship 
in  the  world,  and  it  was  stranded  far  up  the 
beach. 

"  Even  the  giants  bore  no  ill-will  to  Bal- 
der," said  Father  Odin.  "  I  heard  the  thunder 
of  their  grief  but  now  shaking  the  hills.  Let 
us  for  this  once  bury  our  hatred  of  that  race 
and  send  to  Jotunheim  for  help  to  move  the 
ship." 

So  they  sent  a  messenger  to  the  giantess 
Hyrrockin,  the  hugest  of  all  the  Frost  People. 
She  was  weeping  for  Balder  when  the  mes- 
sage came. 

"  I  will  go,  for  Balder's  sake,"  she  said. 
Soon  she  came  riding  fast  upon  a  giant  wolf, 
with  a  serpent  for  the  bridle;  and  mighty 
she  was,  with  the  strength  of  forty  ^Esir.  She 
dismounted  from  her  wolf-steed,  and  tossed 
the  wriggling  reins  to  one  of  the  men- 
heroes  who  had  followed  Balder  and  the 
./Esir  from  Valhalla.  But  he  could  not  hold 


240  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

the  beast,  and  it  took  four  heroes  to  keep 
him  quiet,  which  they  could  only  do  by 
throwing  him  upon  the  ground  and  sitting 
upon  him  in  a  row.  And  this  mortified  them 
greatly. 

Then  Hyrrockin  the  giantess  strode  up 
to  the  great  ship  and  seized  it  by  the  prow. 
Easily  she  gave  a  little  pull  and  presto!  it 
leaped  forward  on  its  rollers  with  such  force 
that  sparks  flew  from  the  flint  stones  under- 
neath and  the  whole  earth  trembled.  The 
boat  shot  into  the  waves  and  out  toward  open 
sea  so  swiftly  that  the  ./Esir  were  likely  to 
have  lost  it  entirely,  had  not  Hyrrockin 
waded  out  up  to  her  waist  and  caught  it  by 
the  stern  just  in  time. 

Thor  was  angry  at  her  clumsiness,  and 
raised  his  hammer  to  punish  her.  But  the 
other  ^Esir  held  his  arm. 

"  She  cannot  help  being  so  strong,"  they 
whispered.  "  She  meant  to  do  well.  She  did 
not  realize  how  hard  she  was  pulling.  This 
is  no  time  for  anger,  brother  Thor."  So  Thor 
spared  her  life,  as  indeed  he  ought,  for  her 
kindness. 

Then  Balder's  body  was  borne  out  to  the 


BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE  241 

ship  and  laid  upon  a  pile  of  beautiful  silks, 
and  furs,  and  cloth-of-gold,  and  woven  sun- 
beams which  the  dwarfs  had  wrought.  So 
that  his  funeral  pyre  was  more  grand  than 
anything  which  had  ever  been  seen.  But 
when  Nanna,  Balder's  gentle  wife,  saw  them 
ready  to  kindle  the  flames  under  this  gor- 
geous bed,  she  could  bear  her  grief  no  longer. 
Her  loving  heart  broke,  and  they  laid  her 
beside  him,  that  they  might  comfort  each 
other  on  their  journey  to  Hela.  Thor  touched 
the  pile  gently  with  his  hammer  that  makes 
the  lightning,  and  the  flames  burst  forth, 
lighting  up  the  faces  of  Balder  and  Nanna 
with  a  glory.  Then  they  cast  upon  the  fire 
Balder's  war-horse,  to  serve  his  master  in  the 
dark  country  to  which  he  was  about  to  go. 
The  horse  was  decked  with  a  harness  all  of 
gold,  with  jewels  studding  the  bridle  and 
headstall.  Last  of  all  Odin  laid  upon  the 
pyre  his  gift  to  Balder,  Draupnir,  the  precious 
ring  of  gold  which  the  dwarf  had  made,  from 
which  every  ninth  night  there  dropped  eight 
other  rings  as  large  and  brightly  golden. 

"  Take  this  with  you,  dear  son,  to  Hela's 
palace,"  said  Odin.   "  And  do  not  forget  the 


242  BALDER  AND  THE  MISTLETOE 

friends  you  leave  behind  in  the  now  lonely 
halls  of  Asgard." 

Then  Hyrrockin  pushed  the  great  boat 
out  to  sea,  with  its  bonfire  of  precious  things. 
And  on  the  beach  stood  all  the  ^Esir  watch- 
ing it  out  of  sight,  all  the  JEsir  and  many 
besides.  For  there  came  to  Balder's  funeral 
great  crowds  of  little  dwarfs  and  multitudes 
of  huge  frost  giants,  all  mourning  for  Balder 
the  beautiful.  For  this  one  time  they  were 
all  friends  together,  forgetting  their  quarrels 
of  so  many  centuries.  All  of  them  loved 
Balder,  and  were  united  to  do  him  honor. 

The  great  ship  moved  slowly  out  to  sea, 
sending  up  a  red  fire  to  color  all  the  heavens. 
At  last  it  slid  below  the  horizon  softly,  as 
you  have  often  seen  the  sun  set  upon  the 
water,  leaving  a  brightness  behind  to  lighten 
the  dark  world  for  a  little  while. 

This  indeed  was  the  sunset  for  Asgard. 
The  darkness  of  sorrow  came  in  earnest  after 
the  passing  of  Balder  the  beautiful. 

But  the  punishment  of  Loki  was  a  terrible 
thing.  And  that  came  soon  and  sore. 


THE   PUNISHMENT    OF 
LOKI   ££££££££ 

ATER  the  death  of  Balder  the  world 
grew  so  dreary  that  no  one  had 
any  heart  left  for  work  or  play. 
The  ^Esir  sat  about  moping  and  miserable. 
They  were  growing  old,  —  there  was  no 
doubt  about  that.  There  was  no  longer  any 
gladness  in  Valhalla,  where  the  Valkyries 
waited  on  table  and  poured  the  foaming 
mead.  There  was  no  longer  any  mirth  on 
Ida  Plain,  when  every  morning  the  bravest 
of  earth-heroes  fought  their  battles  over 
again.  Odin  no  longer  had  any  pleasure  in 
the  daily  news  brought  by  his  wise  ravens, 
Thought  and  Memory,  nor  did  Freia  enjoy 
her  falcon  dress.  Frey  forgot  to  sail  in  his 
ship  Skidbladnir,  and  even  Thor  had  almost 
wearied  of  his  hammer,  except  as  he  hoped 
that  it  would  help  him  to  catch  Loki.  For 
the  one  thought  of  all  of  them  now  was  to 
find  and  punish  Loki. 

Yet  they  waited ;  for  Queen  Frigg  had 
sent  a  messenger  to  Queen  Hela  to  find  if 
they  might  not  even  yet  win  Balder  back 
from  the  kingdom  of  death. 


244    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

Odin  shook  his  head.  "  Queen  Hela  is 
Loki's  daughter,"  he  said,  "  and  she  will  not 
let  Balder  return."  But  Frigg  was  hopeful ; 
she  had  employed  a  trusty  messenger,  whose 
silver  tongue  had  won  many  hearts  against 
their  will. 

It  was  Hermod,  Balder's  brother,  who  gal- 
loped down  the  steep  road  to  Hela's  king- 
dom, on  Sleipnir,  the  eight-legged  horse  of 
Father  Odin.  For  nine  nights  and  nine  days 
he  rode,  through  valleys  dark  and  chill,  until 
he  came  to  the  bridge  which  is  paved  with 
gold.  And  here  the  maiden  Modgard  told 
him  that  Balder  had  passed  that  way,  and 
showed  him  the  path  northward  to  Hela's 
city.  So  he  rode,  down  and  down,  until  he 
came  to  the  high  wall  which  surrounded  the 
grim  palace  where  Hela  reigned.  Hermod 
dismounted  and  tightened  the  saddle-girths 
of  gray  Sleipnir,  whose  eight  legs  were  as 
frisky  as  ever,  despite  the  long  journey. 
And  when  he  had  mounted  once  more,  the 
wonderful  horse  leaped  with  him  over  the 
wall,  twenty  feet  at  least ! 

Then  Hermod  rode  straight  into  the  pal- 
ace of  Hela,  straight  up  to  the  throne  where 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    245 

she  sat  surrounded  by  gray  shadows  and 
spirit  people.  She  was  a  dreadful  creature 
to  see,  was  this  daughter  of  Loki,  —  half 
white  like  other  folk,  but  half  black,  which 
was  not  sunburn,  for  there  was  no  sunshine 
in  this  dark  and  dismal  land.  Yet  she  was 
not  so  bad  as  she  looked ;  for  even  Hela 
felt  kindly  towards  Balder,  whom  her  father 
had  slain,  and  was  sorry  that  the  world  had 
lost  so  dear  a  friend.  So  when  Hermod 
begged  of  her  to  let  his  brother  return  with 
him  to  Asgard,  she  said  very  gently,  — 

"Freely  would  I  let  him  go,  brave  Her- 
mod, if  I  might.  But  a  queen  cannot  always 
do  as  she  likes,  even  in  her  own  kingdom. 
His  life  must  be  bought ;  the  price  must  be 
paid  in  tears.  If  everything  upon  earth  will 
weep  for  Balder's  death,  then  may  he  return, 
bringing  light  and  happiness  to  the  upper 
world.  Should  one  creature  fail  to  weep, 
Balder  must  remain  with  me." 

Then  Hermod  was  glad,  for  he  felt  sure 
that  this  price  was  easily  paid.  He  thanked 
Hela,  and  made  ready  to  depart  with  the 
hopeful  message.  Before  he  went  away  he  saw 
and  spoke  with  Balder  himself,  who  sat  with 


246    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

Nanna  upon  a  throne  of  honor,  talking  of 
the  good  times  that  used  to  be.  And  Balder 
gave  him  the  ring  Draupnir  to  give  back 
to  Father  Odin,  as  a  remembrance  from  his 
dear  son ;  while  Nanna  sent  to  mother  Frigg 
her  silver  veil  with  other  rich  presents.  It 
was  hard  for  Hermod  to  part  with  Balder 
once  again,  and  Balder  also  wept  to  see  him 
go.  But  Hermod  was  in  duty  bound  to  bear 
the  message  back  to  Asgard  as  swiftly  as 
might  be. 

Now  when  the  ^Esir  heard  from  Hermod 
this  news,  they  sent  messengers  forth  over 
the  whole  world  to  bid  every  creature  weep 
for  Balder's  death.  Heimdal  galloped  off 
upon  Goldtop  and  Frey  upon  Goldbristle, 
his  famous  hog;  Thor  rumbled  away  in  his 
goat  chariot,  and  Freia  drove  her  team  of 
cats,  —  all  spreading  the  message  in  one  di- 
rection and  another.  There  really  seemed 
little  need  for  them  to  do  this,  for  already 
there  was  mourning  in  every  land  and  clime. 
Even  the  sky  was  weeping,  and  the  flower 
eyes  were  filled  with  dewy  tears. 

So  it  seemed  likely  that  Balder  would  be 
ransomed  after  all,  and  the  JEsir  began  to 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    247 

hope  more  strongly.  For  they  had  not  found 
one  creature  who  refused  to  weep.  Even  the 
giants  of  Jotunheim  were  sorry  to  lose  the 
gentle  fellow  who  had  never  done  them  any 
harm,  and  freely  added  their  giant  tears  to 
the  salt  rivers  that  were  coursing  over  all  the 
world  into  the  sea,  making  it  still  more  salt. 

It  was  not  until  the  messengers  had  nearly 
reached  home,  joyful  in  the  surety  that  Bal- 
der was  safe,  that  they  found  an  ugly  old 
giantess  named  Thokt  hidden  in  a  black  cav- 
ern among  the  mountains. 

"  Weep,  mother,  weep  for  Balder  ! "  they 
cried.  "Balder  the  beautiful  is  dead,  but 
your  tears  will  buy  him  back  to  life.  Weep, 
mother,  weep ! " 

But  the  sulky  old  woman  refused  to 
weep. 

"  Balder  is  nothing  to  me,"  she  said.  "  I 
care  not  whether  he  lives  or  dies.  Let  him 
bide  with  Hela  —  he  is  out  of  mischief  there. 
I  weep  dry  tears  for  Balder's  death." 

So  all  the  work  of  the  messengers  was  in 
vain,  because  of  this  one  obstinate  old  wo- 
man. So  all  the  tears  of  the  sorrowing  world 
were  shed  in  vain.  Because  there  were  lack- 


248    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

ing  two  salty  drops  from  the  eyes  of  Thokt, 
they  could  not  buy  back  Balder  from  the 
prison  of  death. 

When  the  messengers  returned  and  told 
Odin  their  sad  news,  he  was  wrathful. 

"  Do  you  not  guess  who  the  old  woman 
was  ?  "  he  cried.  "  It  was  Loki  —  Loki  him- 
self, disguised  as  a  giantess.  He  has  tricked 
us  once  more,  and  for  a  second  time  has  slain 
Balder  for  us ;  for  it  is  now  too  late,  —  Bal- 
der can  never  return  to  us  after  this.  But  it 
shall  be  the  last  of  Loki's  mischief.  It  is 
now  time  that  we  put  an  end  to  his  deeds  of 
shame." 

"Come,  my  brothers!"  shouted  Thor, 
flourishing  his  hammer.  "  We  have  wept 
and  mourned  long  enough.  It  is  now  time 
to  punish.  Let  us  hasten  back  to  Thokt's 
cave,  and  seize  Loki  as  quickly  as  may  be." 

So  they  hurried  back  into  the  mountains 
where  they  had  left  the  giantess  who  would 
not  weep.  But  when  they  came  to  the  place, 
the  cave  was  empty.  Loki  was  too  sharp  a 
fellow  to  sit  still  and  wait  for  punishment  to 
overtake  him.  He  knew  very  well  that  the 
would  soon  discover  who  Thokt  really 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    249 

was.  And  he  had  taken  himself  off  to  a  safer 
place,  to  escape  the  questions  which  a  whole 
world  of  not  too  gentle  folk  were  anxious  to 
ask  him. 

The  one  desire  of  the  JEsir  was  now  to 
seize  and  punish  Loki.  So  when  they  were 
unable  to  find  him  as  easily  as  they  expected, 
they  were  wroth  indeed.  Why  had  he  left 
the  cave  *?  Whither  had  he  gone  ?  In  what 
new  disguise  even  now  was  he  lurking,  per- 
haps close  by  *? 

The  truth  was  that  when  Loki  found  him- 
self at  war  with  the  whole  world  which  he 
had  injured,  he  fled  away  into  the  mountains, 
where  he  had  built  a  strong  castle  of  rocks. 
This  castle  had  four  doors,  one  looking  into 
the  north,  one  to  the  south,  one  to  the  east, 
and  one  to  the  west ;  so  that  Loki  could  keep 
watch  in  all  directions  and  see  any  enemy 
who  might  approach.  Besides  this,  he  had 
for  his  protection  the  many  disguises  which 
he  knew  so  well  how  to  don.  Near  the  castle 
was  a  river  and  a  waterfall,  and  it  was  Loki's 
favorite  game  to  change  himself  into  a  spot- 
ted pink  salmon  and  splash  about  in  the  pool 
below  the  fall. 


250    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

"  Ho,  ho !  Let  them  try  to  catch  me  here, 
if  they  can ! "  he  would  chuckle  to  himself 
And  indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  he  were  safe 
enough. 

One  day  Loki  was  sitting  before  the  fire 
in  his  castle  twisting  together  threads  of  flax 
and  yarn  into  a  great  fish-net  which  was  his 
own  invention.  For  no  one  had  ever  before 
thought  of  catching  fish  with  a  net.  Loki 
was  a  clever  fellow ;  and  with  all  his  faults, 
for  this  one  thing  at  least  the  fishermen 
of  to-day  ought  to  be  grateful  to  him.  As 
Loki  sat  busily  knotting  the  meshes  of  the 
net,  he  happened  to  glance  out  of  the  south 
door,  —  and  there  were  the  ^Esir  coming  in 
a  body  up  the  hill  towards  his  castle. 

Now  this  is  what  had  happened :  from 
his  lookout  throne  in  Asgard,  Odin's  keen 
sight  had  spied  Loki's  retreat.  This  throne, 
you  remember,  was  in  the  house  with  a  sil- 
ver roof  which  Odin  had  built  in  the  very 
beginning  of  time ;  and  whenever  he  wanted 
to  see  what  was  going  on  in  the  remotest 
corner  of  Asgard,  or  to  spy  into  some  secret 
place  beyond  the  sight  of  gods  or  men,  he 
would  mount  this  magic  throne,  whence  his 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    251 

eye  could  pierce  thick  mountains  and  sound 
the  deepest  sea.  So  it  was  that  the  JEsir  had 
found  out  Loki's  castle,  well-hidden  though 
it  was  among  the  furthest  mountains  of  the 
world.  They  had  come  to  catch  him,  and 
there  was  nothing  left  for  him  but  to  run. 

Loki  jumped  up  and  threw  his  half- 
mended  net  into  the  fire,  for  he  did  not  want 
the  JEsir  to  discover  his  invention ;  then  he 
ran  down  to  the  river  and  leaped  in  with  a 
great  splash.  When  he  was  well  under  water, 
he  changed  himself  into  a  salmon,  and  flick- 
ered away  to  bask  in  his  shady  pool  and 
think  how  safe  he  was. 

By  this  time  the  JEsir  had  entered  his  cas- 
tle and  were  poking  among  the  ashes  which 
they  found  smouldering  on  the  hearth. 

"What  is  this  ?"  asked  Thor,  holding  up 
a  piece  of  knotted  flax  which  was  not  quite 
burned.  "  The  knave  has  been  making  some- 
thing with  little  cords." 

"  Let  me  see  it,"  said  Heimdal,  the  wisest 
of  the  ^Esir,  —  he  who  once  upon  a  time 
had  suggested  Thor's  clever  disguise  for 
winning  back  his  hammer  from  the  gianf 
Thrym.  He  took  now  the  little  scrap  ol 


252    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

fish-net  and  studied  it  carefully,  picking  out 
all  the  knots  and  twists  of  it. 

"  It  is  a  net,"  said  Heimdal  at  last.  "  He 
has  been  making  a  net,  and  —  pfaugh  !  — 
it  smells  of  fish.  The  fellow  must  have  used 
it  to  trap  fish  for  his  dinner,  though  I  never 
before  heard  of  such  a  device." 

"  I  saw  a  big  splash  in  the  river  just  as 
we  came  up,"  said  Thor  the  keen-eyed,  — 
"a  very  big  splash  indeed.  It  seemed  too 
large  for  any  fish." 

"  It  was  Loki,"  declared  Heimdal.  "  He 
must  have  been  here  but  a  moment  since, 
for  this  fire  has  just  gone  out,  and  the  net 
is  still  smouldering.  That  shows  he  did  not 
wish  us  to  find  this  new-fangled  idea  of 
his.  Why  was  that?  Let  me  think.  Aha! 
I  have  it.  Loki  has  changed  himself  into 
a  fish,  and  did  not  wish  us  to  discover  the 
means  of  catching  him." 

"  Oho  ! "  cried  the  JEsir  regretfully.  "  If 
only  we  had  another  net ! " 

"We  can  make  one,"  said  wise  Heimdal. 
"  I  know  how  it  is  done,  for  I  have  studied 
out  this  little  sample.  Let  us  make  a  net  to 
catch  the  slyest  of  all  fish." 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    253 

"  Let  us  make  a  net  for  Loki,"  echoed  the 
yEsir.  And  they  all  sat  down  cross-legged 
on  the  floor  to  have  a  lesson  in  net-weaving 
from  Heimdal.  He  found  hemp  cord  in  a 
cupboard,  and  soon  they  had  contrived  a 
goodly  net,  big  enough  to  catch  several 
Lokis,  if  they  should  have  good  fisherman's 
luck. 

They  dragged  the  net  to  the  river  and 
cast  it  in.  Thor,  being  the  strongest,  held 
one  end  of  the  net,  and  all  the  rest  drew  the 
other  end  up  and  down  the  stream.  They 
were  clumsy  and  awkward,  for  they  had 
never  used  a  net  before,  and  did  not  know 
how  to  make  the  best  of  it.  But  presently 
Thor  exclaimed,  "  Ha !  I  felt  some  live  thing 
touch  the  meshes  ! " 

"  So  did  we  !  "  cried  the  others.  "  It  must 
be  Loki !  "  And  Loki  it  was,  sure  enough  ; 
for  the  ^Esir  had  happened  upon  the  very 
pool  where  the  great  salmon  lay  basking  so 
peacefully.  But  when  he  felt  the  net  touch 
him,  he  darted  away  and  hid  in  a  cleft  be- 
tween two  rocks.  So  that,  although  they 
dragged  the  net  to  and  fro  again  and  again, 
they  could  not  catch  Loki  in  its  meshes; 


254    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

for  the  net  was  so  light  that  it  floated  over 
his  head. 

"  We  must  weight  the  net,"  said  Heim- 
dal  wisely ;  "  then  nothing  can  pass  beneath 
it."  So  they  tied  heavy  stones  all  along  the 
under  edge,  and  again  they  cast  the  net,  a 
little  below  the  waterfall.  Now  Loki  had 
seized  the  chance  to  swim  further  down  the 
stream.  But  ugh !  suddenly  he  tasted  salt 
water.  He  was  being  swept  out  to  sea  ! 
That  would  never  do,  for  he  could  not  live 
an  hour  in  the  sea.  So  he  swam  back  and 
leaped  straight  over  the  net  up  into  the 
waterfall,  hoping  that  no  one  had  noticed 
him.  But  Thor's  sharp  eyes  had  spied  the 
flash  of  pink  and  silver,  and  Thor  came  run- 
ning to  the  place. 

"  He  is  here  ! "  he  shouted.  "  Cast  in  the 
net  above  the  fall !  We  have  him  now  ! " 

When  Loki  saw  the  net  cast  again,  so 
that  there  was  no  choice  for  him  but  to  be 
swept  back  over  the  falls  and  out  to  sea, 
or  to  leap  the  net  once  more  still  further 
up  the  river,  he  hesitated.  He  saw  Thor  in 
the  middle  of  the  stream  wading  towards 
him;  but  behind  him  was  sure  death.  So 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    255 

he  set  his  teeth  and  once  more  he  leaped 
the  net.  There  was  a  huge  splash,  a  scuffle, 
a  scramble,  and  the  water  was  churned  into 
froth  all  about  Thor's  feet.  He  was  strug- 
gling with  the  mighty  fish.  He  caught  him 
once,  but  the  salmon  slipped  through  his 
fingers.  He  caught  him  again,  and  this  time 
Thor  gripped  hard.  The  salmon  almost  es- 
caped, but  Thor's  big  fingers  kept  hold  of 
the  end  of  his  tail,  and  he  flapped  and 
flopped  in  vain.  It  was  the  grip  of  Thor's 
iron  glove ;  and  that  is  why  to  this  day  the 
salmon  has  so  pointed  a  tail.  The  next  time 
you  see  a  salmon  you  must  notice  this,  and 
remember  that  he  may  be  a  great-great-great- 
grand-descendant  of  Loki. 

So  Loki  was  captured  and  changed  back 
into  his  own  shape,  sullen  and  fierce.  But 
he  had  no  word  of  sorrow  for  his  evil  deeds ; 
nor  did  he  ask  for  mercy,  for  he  knew  that 
it  would  be  in  vain.  He  kept  silent  while 
the  JEsir  led  him  all  the  weary  way  back  to 
Asgard. 

Now  the  whole  world  was  noisy  with  the 
triumph  of  his  capture.  As  the  procession 
passed  along  it  was  joined  by  all  the  crea- 


256    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

tures  who  had  mourned  for  Balder,  —  all  the 
creatures  who  longed  to  see  Loki  punished. 
There  were  the  men  of  Midgard,  the  place 
of  human  folk,  shouting,  "  Kill  him  !  kill 
him!"  at  the  top  of  their  lungs;  there  were 
armies  of  little  mountain  dwarfs  in  their 
brown  peaked  caps,  who  hobbled  along, 
prodding  Loki  with  their  picks ;  there  were 
beasts  growling  and  showing  their  teeth  as 
if  they  longed  to  tear  Loki  in  pieces ;  there 
were  birds  who  tried  to  peck  his  eyes,  in- 
sects who  came  in  clouds  to  sting  him,  and 
serpents  that  sprang  up  hissing  at  his  feet  to 
poison  him  with  their  deadly  bite. 

But  to  all  these  Thor  said,  "  Do  not  kill 
the  fellow.  We  are  keeping  him  for  a  worse 
punishment  than  you  can  give."  So  the  crea- 
tures merely  followed  and  jostled  Loki  into 
Asgard,  shouting,  screaming,  howling,  growl- 
ing, barking,  roaring,  spitting,  squeaking, 
hissing,  croaking,  and  buzzing,  according  to 
their  different  ways  of  showing  hatred  and 
horror. 

The  JEsir  met  on  Ida  Plain  to  decide  what 
should  be  done  with  Loki.  There  were 
Idun  whom  he  had  cheated,  and  Sif  whose 


"  KILL  HIM !  KILL  HIM  ! " 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    257 

hair  he  had  cut  off.  There  were  Freia 
whose  falcon  dress  he  had  stolen  and  Thor 
whom  he  had  tried  to  kill.  There  were  Hod 
whom  he  had  made  a  murderer ;  Frigg  and 
Odin  whose  son  he  had  slain.  There  was 
not  one  of  them  whom  Loki  had  not  in- 
jured in  some  way;  and  besides,  there  was 
the  whole  world  into  which  he  had  brought 
sorrow  and  darkness;  for  the  sake  of  all 
these  Loki  must  be  punished.  But  it  was 
hard  to  think  of  any  doom  heavy  enough  for 
him.  At  last,  however,  they  agreed  upon  a 
punishment  which  they  thought  suited  to  so 
wicked  a  wretch. 

The  long  procession  formed  again  and 
escorted  Loki  down,  down  into  a  damp 
cavern  underground.  Here  sunlight  never 
came,  but  the  cave  was  full  of  ugly  toads, 
snakes,  and  insects  that  love  the  dark.  These 
were  Loki's  evil  thoughts,  who  were  to  live 
with  him  henceforth  and  torment  him  al- 
ways. In  this  prison  chamber  side  by  side 
they  placed  three  sharp  stones,  not  far  apart,  to 
make  an  uneasy  bed.  And  these  were  for 
Loki's  three  worst  deeds,  against  Thor  and 
Hod  and  Balder.  Upon  these  rocks  they 


258    THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI 

bound  Loki  with  stout  thongs  of  leather.  But 
as  soon  as  the  cords  were  fastened  they  turned 
into  iron  bands,  so  that  no  one,  though  he  had 
the  strength  of  a  hundred  giants,  could  loosen 
them.  For  these  were  Loki's  evil  passions, 
and  the  more  he  strained  against  them,  the 
more  they  cut  into  him  and  wounded  him 
until  he  howled  with  pain. 

Over  his  head  Skadi,  whose  father  he  had 
helped  to  slay,  hung  a  venomous,  wriggling 
serpent,  from  whose  mouth  dropped  poison 
into  Loki's  face,  which  burned  and  stung  him 
like  fire.  And  this  was  the  deceit  which  all 
his  life  Loki  had  spoken  to  draw  folk  into 
trouble  and  danger.  At  last  it  had  turned 
about  to  torture  him,  as  deceit  always  will  do 
to  him  who  utters  it.  Yet  from  this  one  tor- 
ment Loki  had  some  relief;  for  alone  of  all 
the  world  Sigyn,  his  wife,  was  faithful  and 
forgiving.  She  stood  by  the  head  of  the 
painful  bed  upon  which  the  Red  One  was 
stretched,  and  held  a  bowl  to  catch  the  poison 
which  dropped  from  the  serpent's  jaws,  so 
that  some  of  it  did  not  reach  Loki's  face. 
But  as  often  as  the  bowl  became  full,  Sigyn 
had  to  go  out  and  empty  it;  and  then  the 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  LOKI    259 

bitter  drops  fell  and  burned  till  Loki  made 
the  cavern  ring  with  his  cries. 

So  this  was  Loki's  punishment,  and  bad 
enough  it  was,  —  but  not  too  bad  for  such  a 
monster.  Under  the  caverns  he  lies  there 
still,  struggling  to  be  free.  And  when  his 
great  strength  shakes  the  hills  so  that  the 
whole  ground  trembles,  men  call  it  an  earth- 
quake. Sometimes  they  even  see  his  poison- 
ous breath  blowing  from  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain-chimney, and  amid  it  the  red  flame  of 
wickedness  which  burns  in  Loki's  heart. 
Then  all  cry,  "  The  volcano,  the  volcano ! " 
and  run  away  as  fast  as  they  can.  For  Loki, 
poisoned  though  he  is,  is  still  dangerous  and 
full  of  mischief,  and  it  is  not  good  to  venture 
near  him  in  his  torment. 

But  there  for  his  sins  he  must  bide  and 
suffer,  suffer  and  bide,  until  the  end  of  all 
sorrow  and  suffering  and  sin  shall  come, 
with  Ragnarok,  the  ending  of  the  world. 


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